Right Where You Belong
by J.M.Spellbound
Summary: In a universe consumed by war there isn't much hope left in the sparks of the soldiers trying to defend it. Everywhere they turn there just seems to be more death and destruction. They don't have much left worth fighting for. That is until a sparkling that shouldn't still exist changes all that. Some stories start quite unexpectedly. Bumblebee's story is one of them.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or any of the characters in this amazing franchise. All rights go to Hasbro & Paramount Pictures, and whoever else I'm forgetting to name.**

**However, I do own the plot and any OCs that find their way into this.**

**Anyway onto the Author's Note. **

**YAY! I finally got the guts to try and post something. So here it is, the first of many chapters in the series of this thing that's been floating around in my head for waaaaaaayyyy to long! I'm learning as I go here so please I would LOVE to know what you think, but be gentle. I love writing more than anything else, and I want to learn as much as I can. Criticism is welcome, but lets make it relevant and kind if at all possible, please and thank you. **

**This story is about Bumblebee, from his sparkling years to . . . however far he gets in life. It will focus mainly on him and those closest to him. The characters may seem more movies-verse than anything else because that's what I know the most about and have the most access to. Though there are so many amazing characters that got left out of the films that just have to have their stories told as well, so don't fret, they're ****here too. I'm trying to keep everybody "in character" and all that, but at the same time I'm writing this the way I see them and after all it's my story . . . so I get to play around. That's what makes it fun! Right? **

**Well enough of that.**

**The tale starts right here, right now! So grab a few cookies, your favorite pillow, a love for Transformers, sit back , and enjoy!**

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Chapter 1

In silent horror Optimus Prime trudged though the remains of what was once the majestic and powerful city of Altihex. The great empire had been one of the last strong holds surviving this late in the war, but now it was nothing more than a pile of smoldering ruble. Blown to bits by the anger and greed of one lost mech.

Optimus and his four mech team had been here for breems searching for survivors, but each knew there would be none. Megatron himself had led this slaughter. Once again there would be nothing left. No hope for any bot to cling too. It was what his dark older brother was planning for the universe, Optimus knew that. Megatron wanted to wipe light, joy, and _hope _from the processors and memory banks of all those that stood against him, and he'd pretty much achieved it when he whipped out the Sectors.

A shudder ran though the powerful Autobot leader at the memory of what had become of the Youngling Sectors not long ago. The Sectors where the younglings no matter family, rank, side, or region were moved for safety when the war broke out. It had been an unspoken agreement between both sides of this costly war that the safe haven would be left out of the fighting. Younglings were the future of both sides no matter Decepticon or Autobot, but Megatron had other plans it seemed. He had struck an Autobot base creating a distraction while his merciless second-in-command Starscream and that Pit spawned sparkless Shockwave leveled the Sectors in less than a breem. Offlineing every innocent young life and loyal caretaker that had called the places home. The devastation had been finished before the calls for help even reached the com-links of any of the commanders. Hotrod had been the first to answer the call, with his small battalion, but it hadn't been in time. He arrived just soon enough to watch the last pillar crumble and hear the last youngling's desperate cry for help. There was nothing he could have done. Nothing any of them could have done, and yet all three commanders felt it was their fault.

Though none of them blamed themselves as much as Optimus did.

The memoires still haunted his processor ever time he closed his optics. Oh the horrors he had witnessed. The pain he had felt from the terrorized and dying sparks that still haunted the area when he had arrived. His family's gift had never felt more like a curse to him than it did that orn. The _gift _that made him a Prime. The _gift _that was allowing his brother to destroy everything. That orn he had never hated it more.

Well, other than now.

He had thrown up the walls around his spark when they arrived here, but it hadn't been enough. The pain, the agony, the utter emptiness attacked his bright burning spark. His gift of being able to read the sparks of others was nothing but a hindrance to him now. His ability that was meant to make him a better leader made him want to curl up among the ruble and cry.

If he had been any lesser of a mech he probably would have.

He couldn't though. He had to be strong. If not for himself than for his loyal, closest friends that trudged on behind him knowing the very thing he did. There was nothing here for them to find.

A tired sigh left the strong, hulking, brute of a bot to Optimus's right making the commander cast a glance over his red and blue armored shoulder to his lifelong friend.

"There is nothing left, Optimus." Ironhide breathed out running a tried hand over his broad black painted chest. "We might as well return to base."

"Hate to agree with the pessimism," Jazz appeared to his commander's left his silver armor glittering in the reflecting moon light. "But Hide is right. There's no one left."

Optimus turned his bright blue optics away from his two friends to watch the tall yellow and red medic that was crouched in the ruble running skilled fingers over the lifeless frame of a mech among the carnage.

"Ratchet?" Optimus walked to the older medic's side as his raised warily from the ground.

"They are right, Optimus." The sad dark blue optics of his friend tore at the walls around his spark making the commander wish even more that he could change all this. Some how give all of them some type of hope. "There is no more good we can do here. It's time to head back."

Shaking his head sadly the Autobot commander turned away staring out over the ruble trying to patch his crumbling wall. He felt like a coward for hiding behind it, but he knew no other way to keep himself from going glitchy at any moment.

"Alright." He whispered taking a deep breath letting it fuel his tired frame. "Let's roll—"

A sudden squeak, small and almost unnoticeable to any that hadn't truly wanted to hear it, cut the great Prime off making him whirl to his left his optics narrowing as they searched for the maker of that familiar let haunting sound. He couldn't believe his audio processors, and for just a moment was absolutely positive he really had gone glitchy.

Then it came again.

The unmistakable cry of a sparkling.

"Was that . . . ." Jazz's utterly shocked voice hardly made it into Optimus's processor. The commander was too busy dropping the walls around his spark reaching out to the dead air around him, searching for any signs of life, and what he found hit him so hard he nearly ended up on his aft. A brilliant, burning, pure warmth raced into his spark as if it was reaching out, calling for help.

It's brilliant light slammed into Optimus like nothing ever had.

Ironhide reacted faster than his fellow mechs, catching his stumbling commander before he hit the ground. Silently he watched Optimus push himself back to his feet, with a slight shove of help from the weapons specialist, looking out around him frantically.

Hide knew that look as well as Ratchet or Jazz.

He just didn't understand why it was there. The last time that utter shock and confusion had passed over Optimus's faceplate had been when Megatron broke their siblingbond almost offlineing both mechs in the process. That had been the orn Megatron murdered Sentinel Prime and defected from the Elite Guard. The orn Optimus had lost his brother, creator, and faith in one fell swoop. The orn Hide, Jazz, and Ratchet had to be there to pick up the pieces.

Now the three mechs stood in shock when another quiet squeak rose up from the ruble around them and Optimus looked this way and that in panic.

"There it was again!" Jazz pointed out walking forward only to have Ironhide cuff him over the back of the head.

"We can hear it you slaggin' fool! Now mute it!" The big black mech growled before his attention was taken as Optimus began shifting though the wreckage. "Prime?" He questioned his friend.

"The chances that it really is what we think it is—" Optimus cut Ratchet off by tossing a cold, dark glare his way. The medic along with the other two muted it pretty quick after that. It had been a long time since they'd seen _that_ look too.

"Search." Was all their commander said before he went back to his quest.

Jazz cast the other two mechs a glance before shrugging and going off in search of the squeaking he knew couldn't be what they thought it was. After all, the sparkling and younglings were gone. Weren't they?

"Ratchet," Hide whispered. "We both know there is no youngling here."

"Have a little faith, my friend." The medic managed to somehow conjure up a smile.

"You think a youngling—which there are no more of because all of them are offline—survived this massacre and is hiding in this mess?" Ironhide snorted making sure to keep his voice low enough that Optimus couldn't hear him.

"Stranger things have happened!" Jazz called from where he was shifting though some crumbled metal letting both mechs know that Optimus probably could and did hear them. With caution the two bots turned to find Optimus glaring at them just as they feared he might be. Letting out a sigh Ratchet went to search leaving Ironhide to wonder over to his best friend to help him look.

Ironhide didn't think they were going to find anything.

Primus knew that no youngling could survive all this. He just hoped Optimus would be ready for that hard truth. He had been blaming himself for pretty much everything lately no matter how much Ironhide, Ratchet, and Jazz argued with him. It was just that big, kind, spark of his trying to fix everything. He wouldn't take it well if they didn't find the nonexistent sparkling. Then again, Ironhide figured if they did find some poor little one that didn't survive this mess none of them were going to take it well.

Especially Prime.

The group searched for what seemed like a vorn with no luck. The squeaking of before had gone completely silent leaving them frustrated and worried. No matter how much the other three didn't want to admit it, the notion that there might be some helpless sparkling or youngling here had entered their processors and the thought that now something might have happened to it or that they might not find it had them all on edge. They'd searched every inch of the ruble finding more and more offline bots, but not the slightest hint of anything online. Ratchet had done a scan of the area once again and came up empty. Optimus was still searching around him for that burning warmth that had hit him before crying out for help, but now it had vanished as if it had never even been there in the first place.

The Autobot commander felt like tearing his circuits out in frustration as he came up empty handed, again, from a pile of scattered glass and metal. The heavy sigh that left his chest as he pushed himself back to his feet brought Ironhide to his side again.

"Nothing?" Optimus questioned.

Ironhide shook his head sadly. "I don't think there is anything here."

Optimus knew his friend was just trying to be frank, but he had let to tell the three what he had felt. He knew they were aware their leader had sensed something, they knew him that well, but they weren't sure what. Subconsciously running a hand over the chestplates that covered his powerful spark the Autobot commander locked optics with his close friend.

"I felt something, Hide." He admitted. Ironhide's optic ridges raised before he nodded for his commander to continue. "I'm not sure what it was, but it needed help. I'm not leaving here until I find it."

"There might not be anything to find, Prime." Ironhide replied quietly.

"I know that." Optimus nodded taking on his leader's voice. The tone he conjured up when he needed to be clear to himself more so than others.

"By now Magnus and Rod are going to be wondering what is keeping us. Not to mention how glitchy Prowl is going to be because we're late." Ironhide pointed out.

Optimus was well aware of that too. He had been waiting for his comm. link to ring out any moment with the annoyed voices of his other friends, and fellow heads of the Autobot army that served just under him, asking where his pit slaggin' aft was. There were reports to go over, battle plans to draw up, causalities to be listed, intelligence to analyze, and a war to be won. Optimus knew it was foolhardy to be wondering around a desolate battlefield looking for what probably wasn't even there and yet he couldn't take himself away. He couldn't leave knowing what had called to him was still out there.

This was not the way a commander should be acting.

He was scolding himself ever nano-kilk that he should have better control over his emotions. It was just after all that had happened over the last few vorns he desperately wanted to find some type of hope. If not for himself than for his loyal followers. All of them were starting to question what they were fighting for now that the Sectors were gone and all the younglings along with them. They could all use a little hope at the moment.

While Optimus was busy being lost in his inner self Ironhide had started searching through another pile of ruble close by in what at the time he called boredom, but what one orn he would call the greatest decision of his life. Pulling back a heavy wall of rock from a large pillar that had created a sort of hidden cave beneath it he found something that made his mouth drop open as he began seriously questioning his processors.

Curled up in a terrified little quivering ball of yellow metal was the tiniest thing the weathered weapons specialist had ever seen. That wasn't really what shocked him though. What hit him in the spark like a sucker punch from some Decepticon scum was the absolutely terrified baby blue optics that brimmed with blue tears as they stared up at him like he was from the Pit itself. Ironhide's hardened spark crumbled into a million little pieces at the sight of it.

"Oh Primus, little one." Ironhide breathed out affectively getting the attention of his fellow mechs. "How in the universe did you end up here?"

The tiny creature squeaked in fright at the sight of the towering mech. Curling tighter in on himself he reveled something that made Ironhide's spark nearly stop. The poor little thing was injured. His right side held a nasty gash that was now stained bright blue by the amount of energon he was losing.

"Ratchet!" The cry for help left Ironhide before he fully even realized what he was doing as he scooped up the tiny thing against weak protest and pulled him up to his chest. The red and yellow medic was at Hide's side in a klick. For a moment the seasoned medic was shocked stiff by the fact that Ironhide really was holding not only a youngling, but a sparkling. An absolutely tiny sparkling at that. He couldn't be older than maybe a couple of vorns or more. The equivalent of an earth infant of a year and a half.

Ratchet shook off his momentary shock switching into fixit mode. Snatching the shivering form from the frantic mech beside him he ran several scans quickly discovering how bad the little thing was injured than went to swiftly patching up the worst of gash to stop the struggling sparkling from offlineing of energon lost even if he wouldn't stop trying to squirm away from him.

By that point Jazz and Optimus were leaning over Ratchet's shoulders watching the struggling creature in awe as the medic finished his temporary fix before letting the whining thing curl into a tight ball as he gazed up at them in absolute terror.

For a long moment all four mechs silently stared down at the quivering form in Ratchet's out stretched hand as tiny baby blue optics stared back at them. Not a single bot dared make a sound until Jazz softly whispered.

"I didn't think there was going to be anything."

"Me either." Ratchet tilted his head at the quivering form before glancing back at his commander who was staring awe struck at the sparkling. "What now, Optimus?"

Reaching forward the commander lightly plucked the sparkling from where he shivered pulling the most wonderful thing he swore to Primus he'd ever seen up into his own grasp. Curling him close to where the Autobot commander's magnificent spark burned with restored hope and reached for this sparkling in ways he'd never thought possible. As the shaking form stilled his terrified movements and relaxed against the pounding he felt against his own spark that in some way seemed safe and familiar Optimus answered.

"We take him back."

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**And there you have it! The first chapter of Right Where You Belong! **

**Is anybody else as happy as I am!? **

**Okay, maybe it's just me, but if you are I'd love to hear what you have to say. So please review and let me know what you think. I promise there is more to come, but you guys are going to have to let me know you like it for me to post more. :)**

**It gets better from here as the story grows. After all, this is the first chapter and it's meant to open the story. I'd still love to know what you think and suggestions/reviews are welcomed and appreciated.**

**Thanks!**

**-Jay**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or any of the original characters. All rights go to Hasbro and all the rest of them.**

**However, I do own the plot and OCs of this story. **

**Hey!**

**Two follows, one review, one fave, and thirty-four views in one day!**

**Dang I'm so freaking happy right now! And to prove my thanks to all you lovely people I give you CHAPTER 2! And a smiley face :) **

**So thanks you guys. Really. I hope you like this story as much as I do. Anyway on to other matters. **

**Here we have chapter 2! Where the real story begins, or at least when I start liking it even more. Hopefully you will too.**

**Bumblebee has been saved by the glorious Optimus Prime and his band of best buddies. And its all as simple as that! **

**Yeah, sure, if only.**

**The little guy had to come from somewhere right? And after all he's just a sparkling. All this stuff is kind of terrifying to someone so young. So that leads us to the start of chapter 2. I really hope I'm not killing the Autobots too much. If they seem out of character I'm sorry, but this is the way I see them acting in these situations, and it's my story so . . . yeah. **

**With that said please read and review I look forward to your feedback!**

**Now, go forth and enjoy adorable baby Bee as much as I do.**

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Chapter 2

The eerie quiet that hung in the air of the titanic battleship _Artemis 1, _stretching every hall and into every room, had all its occupants on edge. Even the normally crowded mess-hall, rec room, gun range, and weapons room were silent as the grave. Every bot on board knew something was up, though none of them were brave enough to ask what just yet. They all still felt the sting of their last defeat fresh in their sparks. It was a fresh battle wound affecting all of them no matter how many brave faceplates and indifferent tones were masqueraded. They all knew the search and rescue mission their commander had led would come back with nothing, and yet the way Ironhide had blown into the ship ordering mechs to clear out had them all a little curious. The same question in all of their processors was tangible in the still air of the ship.

Just what had they found?

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Bumblebee sat in terrified silence now that the big, warm, mech that had carried him into this place had put him down. Half of his young self wanted nothing more than to reach out for the bot to take him back into his strong arms where the little mech felt safe close to the warm spark that had comforted him. The other half of him though was still terrified that those mean bots with glowing red optics were going to come back and get him. So he was reluctant to do anything other than watch in silence.

He was no longer scared that these new bots were going to hurt him. He figured that they would have done it already, like the others had, if they were going too. However, he didn't truly know what was happening around him. So he decided that silence was his best option. His carrier had always told him that silence was the best policy when he didn't understand or was afraid. All those times they had been chased or injured she'd always begged him to stay silent, and he had because he hated it when his carrier was afraid.

He wondered if she would be coming to get him now like she always did, or if these bots would take him to her. Though, there was this empty feeling in the bottom of Bee's spark that had crashed into him when he had been hiding where his carrier left him that he was questioning. She had told him don't move, that she would come back for him, but she had never returned and then that horrible feeling had slammed into him like that mean bot from before that had hurt his side.

He had felt so empty.

Like there was no life inside him anymore. When his reached out with his spark in search of his carrier he hadn't been able to find her. Which was strange because he could always feel her, no matter where she was, and now it was as if she was just gone.

Something inside the little mech told him that she wasn't coming back this time. He didn't want to think about it though, because just the slight notion brought tears to his optics, and tears were bad. She always said they could never fix anything and that though it was okay when he cried that he also had to be strong. Now he was trying to be strong. That was what she would want.

"Oh slag, he's cryin' again!" Jazz jumped to his feet from where he had been resting against the wall only to have Ironhide cuff him in the back of the head.

"Stop cursing in front of him!"

"Well I'm sorry! I can't take that pitiful little faceplate!" Jazz defended himself only to earn a glare from Optimus that muted him. The towering commander was standing close by as Ratchet worked on the youngling who now decided to be absolutely still and silent as the medic finish up his repairs on the fragile little thing before taking a few steps back from the berth the sparkling sat on still staring up at him with tear filled optics.

"Is he in pain?" Optimus asked, the tears tearing at his spark.

"No." Ratchet sighed. "I'm pretty sure he's just afraid."

"Pretty sure?" Ironhide hissed. "If you're not absolutely sure you aren't hurting him check again!"

The little sparkling flinched at the anger and the tone of the huge mech sending him into another little fit of shivers. The guilt that came to life in the weapon specialist's optics didn't go unnoticed by his comrades before Jazz shoved him hard in the shoulder.

"Nice going, you fool! You scared him again!"

"I'm sorry." Ironhide looked away not even bothering to try and get back at Jazz. He really hadn't meant to scare the sparkling. He wanted nothing more than for the tiny thing to stop crying. It was ripping him apart inside and he didn't really think he was doing any better of a job at hiding it than his comrades were.

Optimus turned to face the little shivering bot slowly sinking down to his knees so he could be almost optic level with him as he set on the berth. The yellow sparkling cringed, but he made no effort to try and get away. Maybe he didn't think he could. Optimus knew that this situation must look pretty bleak to the small one. He wished he knew a way to truly lighten his fears.

"Small one," He started softly watching as the teary baby blue optics danced over him for a moment before holding his gaze. "No one here will hurt you. You do not have to be afraid."

"Will he even understand what you're telling him?" Jazz questioned more to Ratchet than Optimus.

"Depends on him." Ratchet answered. "He seems pretty intelligent. I imagine he understands most of this."

"He's just so small." Ironhide stated from where he watched Optimus and the sparkling stare at each other. "How did he even survive out there?"

"Only he can answer that." Ratchet shrugged.

"Small one," Optimus spoke again. "Can you tell me your name? Do you understand? Your name?"

For several breems the little sparkling just sat in silence gazing around at the bots in confusion. They wanted to know his name? No bot had ever asked him his name before. Only his carrier had ever spoken it. The mean bot they had run away from just called him runt. And that defiantly wasn't Bee's name!

Bumblebee came to the conclusion that he might like these bots. He wasn't sure why, but he did. He felt safe around them—when they weren't yelling—and he was sure the one that was speaking to him wasn't lying. His carrier had said never tell his name though. She had always said that it was special between them.

Bee didn't want to make his carrier angry. She wasn't fun when she was angry.

Shaking his head back and forth slowly he raised a finger to the big bot before him letting out a soft click. If they wanted to know his name he wanted to know their names first. His carrier had always said you could tell a lot by a bot's name. He decided if he liked their names he would give them his.

Optimus blinked in confusion for a moment before the wiggling finger and the click made sense to him. The little sparkling wanted to know _his _name. Well, he could arrange that.

"My name? You want to know my name?" He asked just to make sure he understood the small one's wants. He gave a soft chuckle at the earnest nod he received before he answered. "My name is Optimus Prime."

The little sparkling blinked before tilting his head.

Optimus couldn't tell if that was a good thing or not. He doubted the sparkling was old enough to know who the leader of the Autobots was, but before Optimus let his mind wonder on it to much the little bot leaned around his massive frame setting his baby blue optics on the medic that stood just behind the crouching mech. With another wiggling finger and click the question was asked again.

Ratchet smiled. "Ratchet, Squirt, my name is Ratchet."

Bee blinked once more. _Squirt?_ He liked that. He decided he liked both these bots as well. Next he leaned the other way, very grateful when this Optimus Prime shifted out of his line of vision. When his baby blue optics landed on the shortest bot in the room the easy going, enthusiastic, saboteur grinned widely.

"Name's Jazz, Lil' Buddy." This satisfied Bee as well. He really didn't think a mean bot could be named Jazz. It sounded short and nice, like Bee's name, or at least the shortened version his carrier always called him.

Lastly the little bot set his eyes on the big black mech with the loud booming voice that scared him a little bit. This bot had been the one that pulled him from the spot his carrier had left him. Bee wasn't happy about that, but he also knew that when he had been pulled from his hiding spot that the big mech had given him to the one called Ratchet and that they made his pain go away. Giving another jester like before Bee waited for the name from which he would decide if he liked this bot.

Ironhide watched the little bot in fascination as he asked the names of his friends before finally settling on him. The battled hardened mech was aware of just how much more threatening he must be than his comrades to the confused little sparkling and he had already scared him once. He didn't want to do it again. The scared little thing pulled at his spark too much to do that. Gathering his courage he softly answered the little one.

"Ironhide."

And he left it at that. He figured the less he said than the less the sparkling might fear him.

Once again Bee blinked taking in the big bot who only spoke one thing to him. He tilted his head rolling the name around in his processor. Once he was sure he liked it as well he nodded than turned his gaze back to Optimus who was still crouched before him with a smile. Bee also decided he liked that smile. So he gave one in return.

In a sweet, almost tiny, voice he spoke up. "Bee."

It was half chirp half word proving the little sparkling was still very young and not very practiced at using words, and his little faceplate formed a pout when he tried to get out his whole name. Several clicks were shared before he finally mastered the syllables once again.

"Bumblebee."

"Bumblebee?" Optimus's voice processor almost purred as he repeated the name. It fit the little yellow sparkling perfectly. He was gifted with a happy nod and another smile. "Well it's very nice to meet you, Bumblebee."

Bee clicked in glee.

Yes, he was sure these bots wouldn't hurt him. He would be safe here.

Suddenly the doors to medical bay swung open with a hiss as two rather large, battle weary, annoyed mechs stomped into the room only to stop dead in their tracks at what they saw sitting on Ratchet's surgery berth.

Perhaps Bee spoke to soon.

Scared now, at the sight of the two new faceplates he found himself looking at, he curled his legs to his chest shivering in fright as tears once again welled up in his optics.

"What in—" Hotrod didn't get the shout out before Ironhide slammed a hand into both his and Ultra Magnus's chest shoving them back into the hallway followed closely by Jazz and Optimus as Ratchet tried to calm the little sparkling once again.

"Mute it!" Ironhide snarled at the higher ranked bots before shoving them away a few more feet. Most bots on this side of the universe feared an angry Ironhide, but Hotrod and Ultra Magnus were not among them.

Most of the time anyway.

They'd known the mech long enough to know all about his temper. They knew how to dance around his lines.

Even they were lost at the moment though at what they had done to cross the bulky weapons specialist. That and their processors were still spinning from what they saw sitting in the medical bay as if it belonged there and shouldn't be a physical impossibility.

"Magnus, Rod—"

"Was that a sparkling?!" Hotrod shouted flinging his hand up toward the closed door behind his commander whom he cut off. "Like a sparkling? As in something that there are no more of!"

"Well it wasn't a robo-cat." Jazz rolled his optics at the large red and gold Targetmaster. Hotrod glared at the smaller mech only to have Magnus slap him upside the head. Once he had muted the most hotheaded of the three top ranked Autobots the second in command turned to Optimus crossing his arms over his tri-colored red, blue, and white frame.

There were a lot of things Magnus wanted to say at the moment, but he took a deep breath knowing there would be a time for most of them later. Right now there was only one real question that needed to be answered as far as he was concerned. "Is it alright?"

Optimus nodded. "He seems no worse for wear. Though now he's officially terrified again."

"Thanks to you!" Ironhide grumbled under his breath. Both commanders ignored him and the fuming, confused, Hotrod who was in a glaring match with Jazz on their other side.

"Where did you find him?"

"Out there in the middle of all that death in destruction." The Autobot leader sighed. "It isn't logical that he survived, he shouldn't have, but he did."

There was a moment of silence before Hotrod spoke up. "So what are we going to do with him?"

His fellow bots looked at him like he'd suddenly grown a second head.

"Well you can't expect him to stay on the ship! No one here is capable of caring for a sparkling! No offence Prime, but we are kind of in the middle of a war here, and the last time I checked that wasn't the best place for a sparkling—hardly a couple of vorns old by the looks of him—should be."

"So what?" Magnus asked. "You want us to drop him back where they found him, Rod?"

"No!" Hotrod ground out. "I'm saying, where are his creators? How is he even alive? The Sectors fell almost seven vorns ago. I was there. I saw it myself!" The two tone red and gold bot trailed off looking away now that the true motive behind his tone and attitude surfaced. "Nothing survived. _Nothing!_"

"He's too young to have come from there." Optimus said quietly knowing it was terrible memories that haunted his friend's processor and nothing else. The sparkling was a shock to Hotrod's system. He had come to terms with the fact that he had failed them all. Now he was looking at one. It was too big of a shock at the moment for the mech to be acting with any kind of level head.

Optimus understood.

"Then where did he come from?" Rod glanced around.

"Maybe we should ask him." Magnus lifted an optic ridge to Optimus. "Do you think he'd understand?"

"Oh he understands a lot more than I think we're giving him credit for." Jazz crossed his arms. "Any other sparkling that young would be wailing his little vocal processor out at the sight of all of us. All of this. Yet he just sits there watching us as if he knows we won't hurt him."

"Yeah, the whole we had to tell our names before he would tell his was kind of shocking." Ironhide agreed.

"He told you his name?" Magnus questioned.

Optimus nodded. "Bumblebee."

His newly arrived comrades smiled. A name made it all the more real to the both of them.

"Well that fits." Hotrod chuckled.

"Why don't we meet this little Bumblebee and find out a little more about him?" Magnus offered. "If you think we can make up for scaring him."

"Yeah," Hotrod looked away in shame. "Didn't mean to."

"Oh it's no big deal!" Jazz clapped him hard on the back. "Hide nearly gave the little mech a spark-attack."

Their laughter earned them both a good knock in the head from the edgy mech, but all violence and noise for that matter came to a halt when the bay doors hissed open again to a pitiful sight.

Ratchet had been trying to calm the little fellow down since the door hissed shut, but all his attempts had been in vain. Because even he, with his limitless amount and experience and knowledge in all things to do with being a medic which included a lot about sparklings, had no idea what to do with this one. Because he just sat there with his arms curled around his tiny little legs and frame watching the door with teary optics and shivers.

Yet he didn't cry out or wail in fear.

Ratchet could only hush him, try to calm him, but what could he do for a sparkling that didn't cry like he should. He seemed far more grown up then he should be. A notion that wasn't totally misunderstood by the medic. If the little one had grown up the way he figured he had so far, he could imagine why he acted much older than he was. However, the medic could still see the scared sparkling in that shivering silent little form. Inside that terrified little spark was a sparkling all alone that just didn't understand.

When the door hissed open again Ratchet didn't even turn to face them. He knew what was going to happen, and besides he was far too preoccupied with his shivering patient to do anything but growl over his shoulder.

"I blame you for this."

Magnus and Hotrod filched at the medic's words along with the sight of the tiny yellow thing shivering in absolute terror as he watched them with teary optics.

Oh Primus, what had they done?

Bumblebee was once again scared and confused. Why couldn't these bots start making some since? Was that to much to ask? For them to stop confusing and frightening him?

He didn't think so.

First he decides he likes them, and tells them his name. Then some strangers show up all angry and mean looking. He didn't like angry and mean looking bots. He wanted them to go away, but the nice bots had brought them back.

He just couldn't understand all this.

He wanted his carrier.

He wanted her to come and get him. He was tired of waiting and meeting knew bots. He decided the cold feeling that was down inside of him was just fear and that before it had just been fear. He was determined to believe that she was coming back to get him. She would always come back to get him.

So when Optimus crouched down before him again with that smile he liked so much he decided that he would just look away. He was still afraid after all, and the nice bot wasn't making the ones that scared him go away. Besides, he didn't want to talk anymore. He would just wait for his carrier.

"Bumblebee?" At the use of his name the little sparkling cast a glace toward the towering mech that was still taller than him as he sat on the berth even when he was on his knees. Despite himself the little sparkling's shivers stilled and stopped. Being this close he could feel the magnificent spark that burned in the chest of this big bot. The spark was warm and welcoming, inviting him to trust him and to be near him. It was similar to his carrier's. She had a spark that was always so bright, soft, and kind. He could always feel her love for him when he was close to her. This feeling was similar.

In curiosity the little bot lowered some of the walls, that he kept up in an unbreakable defense around his spark like his carrier had always told him to do, ever so slightly. She had always told him it wasn't good for him to reach out to other sparks. He didn't understand why, but he had done as she said. He didn't want to get in trouble.

Now though, this brilliant, powerful one before him called to him with the promise of safety and compassion. Deciding that he could risk it Bee dropped the walls around himself reaching out with his spark.

What happened next, _totally_ confused him again though.

Several surprised yelps rang out around the medical bay as the towering mechs stumbled backwards crashing into walls, tables full of medical equipment, each other, and Optimus back onto his own skidplate with a heavy thud. Bee blinked in surprise at the happenings and then found them rather funny as the giant bots glanced around frantically before all optics settled on him.

He giggled showing off an adorable little smile.

He could feel the magnificent warmth of Optimus's spark now that he had dropped his barriers. It was kind and inviting yet powerful and mysterious. Bee felt drawn to it for reasons he couldn't explain.

Quite on accident though he realized he could feel the others' sparks as well. The notion excited him. They were all so different and yet similar in the way that all shown with compassion and an overall goodness that the little sparkling liked. He decided that the new bots weren't so bad after all. He would like them too, once he knew their names that is.

Though there was one other thing the sparkling took notice of before he let his gaze rest on Optimus as he hauled himself back to his feet. Of all the sparks in the room, besides Optimus's of course, Bee found he liked Ironhide's the best. The powerful, admittedly a little scary, mech had a spark that glowed with so much love and compassion buried under a wall of hardened emotions that it pulled Bee towards it. The feeling intrigued little Bee. He felt safe wrapped up in the warmth of that spark as it reached back out for him along with all the others.

Yes, Bee liked the bots. He was sure opening up his spark to them wasn't a bad thing. His carrier wouldn't be mad. When she came to get him she would be happy. He had made them new friends. Now they wouldn't be alone anymore, and with powerful sparks like these he was sure that they wouldn't have to run anymore. His carrier wouldn't have to be afraid. They would be safe now.

"Umm, everyone else felt that too right?" Jazz was the first Autobot to find the use of his vocal processor as he stared down at the grinning, tiny, thing that he could still feel somehow pulling at his spark. Or maybe it was his spark pulling toward the sparkling. He wasn't really all that sure. Was that even possible? He was almost positive only a Prime, or a descendent of a Prime, could feel other bots' sparks like that without their consent. Sure all bots formed bonds and were connected to others, but this little youngling's spark was reaching out into the air around him pulling and calling to the unknown sparks that surrounded him. That shouldn't be possible. Only a Prime could do that.

A very scary notion passed over the mech before he glued his optics on Optimus while Magnus shushed him. _Who_ was this squirt? Or more accurately, _what _was he?

"That was . . . ." Optimus looked for the word that would get across to the giggling sparkling. He was almost positive that the small mech had no idea what he'd just done, but at least now the Autobot leader was cretin this sparkling was what he had felt calling out for him. Because now as he stood so close to this adorable little thing he could feel his powerful spark reach out, even without his consent, and wrap the tiny one's in warmth and comfort. He would have done it anyway, if he had known he could. Only he hadn't, and he shouldn't have been able too.

This sparkling was using the Gift of the Primes, or at least something like it.

How was that even possible?

Optimus was the last one, besides his brother, and Megatron no longer counted. He deserted everything the Primes ever stood for. He was using the Gift against life. And Optimus didn't even humor the idea that this sparkling could be his brother's. He defiantly would have felt that by now.

So who, or _what _was he?

"Interesting." Optimus settled on making Bumblebee giggle even louder as he unfolded himself swinging his tiny legs back and forth over the drop to the floor.

"How'd he do that?" Ironhide spoke up. "I mean I can . . . feel him?"

"Pretty sure we all can." Ratchet stepped to Optimus's side running a scan over the sparkling again while he just continued to giggle. "How can he do that, Optimus?"

"Not the slightest idea." Optimus was honest with one of his most loyal of friends. He really didn't know. The great Optimus Prime was thrown for a loop by a sparkling. Something he would soon come to know was going to be a regular occurrence for the rest of his vorns.

"Well he ain't a Prime!" Hotrod motioned to Bee. He was gifted a head tilt in return. "No offence pip squeak, but I've never _seen _or _heard _of a sparkling that tiny. He's no Prime. Besides that he'd have to be _your _sparkling Optimus, or . . . ."

Everybot blinked for a moment before a few rolled there optics and the others stared at Hotrod in shock.

"Oh frag." The Targetmaster hung his head before spinning on his heels about to head out of the bay. "That's it! I give up! I'm done! If you need me I'll be in my quarters."

Magnus grabbed him by the shoulder armor pulling him back into the room before he could leave than turned his attention to Prime. "He's not Megatron's."

It wasn't a question. Magnus was well aware of how things were. Megatron had no sparkling. Period. Besides that tiny, cute, giggly little thing could be in no ways connected to Megatron.

"Than _what _is he?" Jazz asked.

"Me, Bee." Bumblebee decided he was tired of listening to the mechs talk. He didn't really understand most of what they were saying, but what he did get proved they were talking about him. He still had his walls down so he was aware of their confusion as he swam in the safety he felt from the strength around him. It made him giggle. They felt a lot like his carrier. He liked that.

The bots stared at the little mech once more before Optimus decided it was time to just assume this little sparkling was very different than any he'd ever met.

"Yes you are Bee." He smiled. He was once again gifted another smile in return. "So Bee, can I ask you some questions? I think you'll understand."

Bee pondered the thought for a klick. He didn't see any problem with questions. Nodding his head quickly he agreed.

"Alright then," Optimus nodded. "Bumblebee, how did you end up out there all alone?"

"Carrier," He answered. Optimus had to stop himself from letting out the breath of dread he'd been holding in. That was the answer he feared. There had been no other survivors of the attack on Altihex. The commander had made sure to check for that the moment he laid optics on the little youngling. His second thought after pure wonder had been where were his creators.

Now he had an answer.

The sparkling was an orphan, and he probably didn't even know.

The sadness that suddenly attacked the air around Bumblebee confused him. Why were the bots suddenly sad? He glanced from bot to bot trying to understand the pain that filled their sparks. It's appearance unnerved the little mech. Drawing back his spark he raised his walls in an effort to keep out the sadness.

He didn't like it.

For some reason his answer upset them. So he decided that he would try and make them feel better. Maybe they thought his carrier was mean for leaving him alone. He had to set that straight right away.

"Come back." He said. "Promise."

Optimus's spark fell at the sheer belief that sparkled in the tiny mech's optics. He truly believed what he was saying.

How was Optimus supposed to tell this sparkling that his carrier wasn't coming back? No matter the fact that he shouldn't have survived Optimus was sure no one else had. Because after they found the sparkling they made triple sure nothing else was left alive out there. Optimus had sent a second search party once he had the sparkling safely back in the ship. They'd found a couple of femmes among the casualties. One not too far from where the sparkling had been hiding. It was most likely that had been this little one's carrier.

"Bumblebee," The Autobot leader sighed, glancing up at Ratchet for some type of help. The gaze that Ratchet returned him did nothing to help his tortured spark.

"He has to know."

"Why?" Ironhide snapped from the back of the room. "It's only going to upset him!"

"We can't lie." Ratchet snapped right back. "What do you suggest we do? Tell him in a couple of breems she'll be back? She won't be. Sooner or later he's going to realize that."

Bumblebee's smile fell at the bots words. All of a sudden he understood why these bots were looking at him the way they were. He had been right before. His carrier wasn't coming back to get him this time. The cold feeling deep down in his spark was the place she had once been that was now oh so very empty. She was never going to come back and get him this time.

Now, he was all alone.

Tears spilled from his baby blue optics as the whisper left his shaking voice. "Not coming back. Is she?"

The strong sparks of everybot in the room crumbled like glass at the sight of that tiny little life who sat there on the medical bay berth staring up at Optimus like his whole universe was crumbling down around him.

To the sparkling, they all knew that it was.

Optimus sighed, pulling himself to his feet before taking the shivering sparkling into his arms as silent tears poured down the little mech's cheekplates while he snuggled up close to the powerful spark in the leader's chest that warped around him in a blanket of comfort trying to drive out the utter pain that Optimus could feel screaming from his little spark.

"It's going to be alright, Little Bumblebee." He said. "You're safe now. I promise."

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**Ta-dah!**

**Chapter 2! Whatcha think? **

**Once again please R&R and you'll get chapter 3 a whole lot quicker. Seeing as I've all ready written it and all. Hee-hee :)**

**-Jay**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. Hasbro does. Duh. **

**However, I do own the plot of this story and any OCs.**

**Hey! Finally got a second to post this.**

**So enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 3

It took a full Decacycle before any of them could get Bumblebee to speak again. A fact that utterly terrified Optimus, Ironhide, Jazz, and Ratchet. Watching the tiny creature suffer in complete silence was agonizing to the battle hardened mechs. Nothing they tried seemed to do any good. The sparkling would eat, but only when he was near starvation and Ratchet threatened him with a feeding tube.

The little mech refused to even look at the medic for a full orn after that.

And getting him to recharge was pretty much hit and miss. Most of the time they only won by chance. When Bee was just too tired to keep his optics open any longer and his own systems forcibly slipped into recharge without his consent was the only time the little one closed them, and then it wasn't for very long.

Ratchet knew this wasn't healthy for the sparkling, but he also knew the tiny mech was beyond depressed. He was grieving in a way no creature that young should ever have too. His carrier was gone, and there was nothing in the universe that could take that pain from his fracture spark. In his optics he was alone without a prayer to save him. The universe might as well be crumbling around him. Because his already was.

There wasn't much the seasoned medic knew to do. He'd treated maybe a handful of sparklings and younglings in his time, but none like Bumblebee.

None that were breaking like this.

He honestly didn't know what to do with him, let alone how he was supposed to help him. There were many, many, things Ratchet knew how to fix. He prided himself in that fact. However, not even he could heal a broken spark.

The Autobots had made it a priority that at least one bot was watching the sparkling at all times so that he was constantly monitored, and since he was being carried around by Optimus, Jazz, Ironhide, or Ratchet—the only bots he'd allow to touch him without bursting into terrified screams—the whole ship knew about him now.

Which had actually gone over better than Optimus figured it would. There had been the utter chaos at first when every mech on board wanted to see proof that their leader had indeed brought back a living sparkling to their battleship, but when the terrified little thing curled into a ball in Ironhide's massive arms and broke down in tears they all scattered pretty quickly.

One from fear of the anger in Hide's dark blue optics, and two from the guilt at what they had caused.

It only took about a breem after knowing about the little youngling that every bot on board had taken up the same inner oath. Nothing, and no bot, was going to hurt or scare that little mech ever again. They would all make sure of that, and the agreement that Optimus had called a meeting about was unanimous. Word of the sparkling was never getting out. No other bots in the universe besides this ship, Magnus's, and Hotrod's were ever going to know what Optimus and his team found curled among the ruble of that battleground.

For now his existence was to be a complete secret. It was safer for him that way. Besides, if they couldn't get him eating and recharging regularly he might not live all that much longer anyway.

Yet none of them knew what to do to save him.

When the mechs on board sat back and watched their leader and comrades struggle to keep the sad sparkling alive they felt completely helpless. Something none of the powerful Autobots liked being. Which might have been just what led the sparkling back on the right track to begin with. When Jazz and the twins got him to talk again in a kind of brilliant yet unconventional way. They would claim from then on out they planned it, but in truth they really just got lucky.

* * *

It had been a full Decacycle since Bumblebee last spoke and Ironhide was sitting in a quiet corner of the mess-hall after a long shift. He'd taken the silent sparkling back from Prime so the leader could attended a meeting with Magnus and Rod before the mechs went back to their own ships. Hide didn't mind though. No matter how tired he was his processor hadn't stop whirling about the fate of this tiny bundle that clung to him so. He wasn't sure what made the little creature so sure that he wanted to be with him, but Ironhide wasn't complaining. The hardened, battle wise, weapons specialist had fallen head over heels for the bundle of yellow medal and wires. His spark hadn't felt as alive as it did when those baby blue optics looked up at him since before the war started and he still had his family. Even killing 'Cons came up short compared to those bright optics and the way his brilliant little spark managed to reach everybot he came into contact with.

Optimus still hadn't figured out what it was that let the sparkling do it, but they were all very sure he could. His abilities weren't the same as Prime's, they weren't sure he could read the sparks around him, but he had the ability to feel and be felt without the need for true bonds. It wasn't that the mechs weren't forming bonds with the sparkling.

They were.

It was just the sparkling didn't seem to need them. He could connect to all the sparks around him and it seemed he didn't even know he was doing it.

Something Ironhide was glad for at the moment. Because even though he could feel the small sparkling's fear and pain slightly tugging at his spark he also knew that Bumblebee could feel just how much Ironhide had come to adore him in this short amount of time. The mech who hadn't let anybot in for vorns was still at a lost to how the little creature wiggled his way into the thick barriers he'd thrown up around his spark all those vorns ago, but he had, and now that he was there Ironhide silently swore to never let him go. He was going to make sure nothing bad _ever_ happened to this sparkling _ever_ again. A matter he was going to take to Optimus in the next couple of orns.

First however, he had to get the little mech to eat something.

"Come on, Bee." He pleaded holding the bottle Ratchet and Red Alert had fixed up for the sparkling with energon that he would be able to process—something that still blew Ironhide away—closer to the wiggling sparkling who shoved it away only to burry himself back in the crock of Hide's arm and chest. The tired mech sighed before trying to coax him out again. "Bumblebee, you have to eat."

A shake of a tiny yellow head was all he got in return.

"Please, Lil' Bee." The soft voice of Jazz didn't shock Ironhide as the silver mech materialized seemingly out of nowhere from the crowded mess-hall that had taken on a much quieter air now that the sparkling was there. Bumblebee didn't even rise up to greet Jazz with a nod like he had been doing the last few orns. Jazz's smile fell away at this. He turned to Ironhide. "Still nothing?"

Hide shook his head. "Optimus said he's been trying to get him to eat since morning and he hasn't taken a drop. Didn't get any recharge last night either."

"Did you?" Jazz raised an optic ridge at the utterly exhausted look in his friend's optics. He knew the answer already.

"No." He admitted as he tried to coax Bumblebee out again. However, Bee was having none of it and just burrowed down deeper as a quiet sniffle left him.

"Why don't you let me watch him for a few breems?" Jazz offered. "You go get some recharge. You need it."

Ironhide shook his head once again. "I couldn't even if I tried. My processor won't shut off about him. I just need to see him eat something, or get some real recharge, maybe speak! I don't know. . . ." Hide trailed off unable to say what was really terrifying him. He wouldn't be able to rest for real until he knew that he wasn't going to wake up to find an offline sparkling. When he was sure the tiny mech would still be breathing than Ironhide would be able to recharge. At the moment there was really no point.

Optimus and Ratchet were in pretty much the same predicament Ironhide was in, Jazz was as well, but he was handling it better. How? He wasn't sure. He could recharge, but when he did his dreams were nothing but nightmares to which he would wake to find an offline sparkling. He was a saboteur though; he faked things better than his comrades.

"Hear that, Lil Bee?" Jazz reached over Hide's burly arms to lightly poke Bee in the gut. He was granted a huff in return, but the sparkling wouldn't even look at him. It tore at the saboteur's spark. "You gotta help us out here. You gotta eat, recharge, speak . . . do something."

Silence was his answer.

"Come on," Jazz begged.

"Still being stubborn, huh?" A cocky, confident, styled, and totally narcissistic bright gold bot strolled over to the back corner of the mess-hall behaving a little more calmly than he usually was, but not a far cry from his known glory. Ironhide grumbled under his breath while Jazz just leaned up and grinned at the approaching Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. They were right on time. He just wondered if his desperate plan was going to work.

"Aren't you supposed to be guarding something?" Jazz chuckled.

"Aren't you supposed to be listening to something?" Sunstreaker shot right back before his red twin brother swung in beside him.

"Hey, it's the Half Pint." Sideswipe grinned broadly leaning over to see the sparkling. Ironhide snorted, pulling back before narrowing his optics up to the twins. Sides just laughed as he stood back up still watching the sparkling, but his smile and laughter faded at the sight of those pained, tired optics. "Nothing yet?"

Ironhide only sighed.

"How long can he last like this?" Sideswipe asked quietly.

"Not very much longer." Ironhide answered. "He'll eat a little, and crashes out after a while, but his systems can't survive like that."

"Wasn't old Wrench gonna force feed him or something?" Sunstreaker crossed his strong arms with a huff at the simple thought of the resident Autobot CMO. The last time Sunny had been so unfortunate to be graced by the medic's presence he had ended up with a wrench upside his head. Something that happened more times than the skilled warrior liked to admit. Which was why he and his prankster brother had taken to calling Ratchet 'Wrench' vorns ago. It just seemed to fit. The Medic of Doom, or Hatchet belonged to the rest of the ship. Though the pair used it just as much to annoy the medic.

The question had only hung in air for a nano-klick before Bumblebee squeaked in terror at the mention of the backup plan. There was no way in _nothin'_ they were gonna put a tube down his throat. Bumblebee wasn't having any of that.

Ironhide growled at the warrior bot whose words sent Bee into another fit of shivers. The towering hulk of a bot had been at his wits end for orns now. Dancing around the lines of his temper and sanity trying to keep himself under wraps, but there was only so long the mech could deny the inevitable. Sooner or later he was going to snap with the lack of recharge and worry stressing his systems and unfortunately for the golden hothead he just reached his breaking point.

Pushing himself to his feet in one quick motion the anger rolling off the mech was practically visible. With a low grumble that started in the bottom of his spark and rose up until it had his cannons humming he handed the sparkling off to a shocked Jazz before hauling back in one swift motion and blasting Sunstreaker clean across the mess-hall with his powerful cannons before snarling and chasing after the smoking form.

The mess-hall exploded into a cussing, firing, . . . well mess after that. Which really wasn't all that uncommon for the bots after a long trying shift when mechs were on edge and everybot got a little grumpy, but it was absolutely the last thing any of them thought Ironhide would do with the sparkling around. Jazz jumped to his feet bolting for the door as Sideswipe joined the fray alongside his twin and every bot brave—or stupid—enough to try and stop Ironhide at that point.

Bumblebee watched with fascination as the powerful bot he had taken such a liking too knocked the energon out the two who had been coming around him a lot. Bee liked the two, they were strange, but he liked them. The red one was nice, kind of load, but nice. The gold one made him laugh silently to himself making his cold and hurting spark feel a little better. That is when the big golden one wasn't scaring him. Now though he didn't understand what was happening. Ironhide had handed him off to Jazz and then blasted Sunstreaker across the big room. Why had that happened? Bee thought these bots were friends.

He decided he didn't like it when they fought.

The chaos went on for a couple of klicks with Jazz laughing as he watched the carnage that was every fool that got in Ironhide's way when he snapped while the saboteur held the now curious little youngling that was wiggling around in his arms trying to get a better view of what was going on. The silver mech kind of figured that Ratchet would knock him over the head with something big and pointed if he found out he hadn't taken the sparkling away from the violence, but that didn't move him from his place even if he could hear old Hatchet now.

'What were you thinking!?' Whack over the head with some type of tool. 'You should have taken him out of there! He could be traumatized for the rest of his life!' Another sharp tool to the processor.

Jazz looked down at the tiny bundle of yellow that was watching Ironhide kick aft with more light in his optics than he'd seen since the med bay all those orns ago. The sight made him smile. This just might be a good thing. After all it was Jazz's job to make things happen that no other bot thought possible. He was the master of improvising.

"Kind of nuts ain't they, Lil' Bee?" He brought the little mech up to rest against his spark giving him a full view as he cradled him in his arms. The sparkling glanced at him looking slightly confused, but turned back to watch the fighting nonetheless. "Don't worry about it much. This stuff happens all the time. I pity any pour unfortunate spark that gets on the receiving side of one of old Hide's cannons. He doesn't have the best lid on that temper of his you see."

Bee squeaked in shock as he watched Ironhide grab a bot—he thought the red mech was named Inferno—by the shoulder armor and toss him clear across the mess-hall into a gathering crowd before blasting a hole in the floor where Sideswipe had just been laying before his brother kicked him out of the way and tackled the much bigger black mech.

Bee shook his head trying to understand.

He wanted to ask his new caretaker for the moment what was really happening. Sure Jazz had said all that, but Bee didn't understand why friends were allowed to hurt each other. This wasn't right.

Nice bots should be nice to each other.

He had thought that these bots weren't bad. Their sparks weren't bad so shouldn't that mean that they weren't bad? He wanted them to stop.

So he figured he would make them stop.

Only now he had to figure out how to do that. Chewing on his small lip he glanced from a laughing Jazz to a yelling, cussing, angry Ironhide and twins before he decided just what he would do.

After all they'd wanted him to speak. So that was just what he would do. He was tired of being quiet anyway. His spark hurt, he missed his carrier, he was sad, but he had come to realize over the last few orns that he was hurting the kind mechs around him by not eating like he should, not recharging, and not talking.

He was afraid that maybe he was causing the nice bots to not be nice to each other. If that was the case he wasn't having any more of it. He didn't like the fighting. It reminded him too much of the place his carrier had taken him away from.

He wanted it to stop. Now!

"STOP!"

The immediate response to the sparkling's outburst was shocked silence as every optic in the room turned to face Jazz while he stood in the doorway looking down with wide optics at the pouting form in his arms.

_Did he just speak? _A smile wormed its way up Jazz's faceplate as he chuckled. _He spoke! _Not really how he planned it working out, but it worked nonetheless. _Ha! Take that Prowler! _

Ironhide had been mid toss of Sideswipe over his head when Bumblebee's voice cut though his anger causing him to drop the smaller bot behind him with a loud clank followed by a groan as he turn to face the pouting little form in Jazz's arms. _He spoke? _

Turning on his heel Hide strolled through the wreckage he caused until he reached the putout Bumblebee as the sparkling shifted back and forth in Jazz's arms.

"Unconventional," Jazz chuckled. "But affective none the less."

"You want me to stop, Bee?" Ironhide ignored the silver mech's look of triumph as he bounced the sparkling in his hands.

"Yes." Bee snapped.

"Will you eat something if he does?" Jazz twisted the sparkling in his grip until he was holding the adorable from before his optics. He laughed at the little face thinking over the offer before nodding.

"That can be arranged, Bee." Ironhide grinned taking the sparkling from Jazz carrying him out of the mess-hall ignoring Jazz's boasting.

"I knew it would work! I'm a fragging genius!"

"How in Pit was this _your_ genius idea!?" Sideswipe could be heard groaning before the door hissed shut behind Ironhide as the massive mech headed toward Optimus's meeting room with a beaming smile while he held the sparkling close to his own spark feeling a billion times better than he had just a few klicks ago. One because he had a now speaking sparkling in his arm, and two because he got to beat the energon out of those annoying twins. Ratchet and Prime probably weren't going to be too thrilled with him, but Ironhide could care less. Bumblebee was speaking. That was all that mattered to the mech now.

* * *

**And there you have it! Chapter 3! **

**It's shorter than I thought it was, but no matter. **

**Because Sunny and Sides have decided to show up! Bet some of you were wondering where they were. Well at least I was.**

**And they get their butts handed to them in the first chapter you see them in. Isn't that so like them? They need to stop going along with Jazz's little ideas. His plans are hazardous to their health. **

**Anyway, I like this chapter. Thing are starting to build. I didn't imagine that Bee would get over the lose of his mother easily and that it would be quite a painful realization for him to come to. After all he's just a baby. Realizing that he's all alone in the world would severely hinder his ability to function. So I figured he would need some time and maybe some slight nudging to get him back on track to where he needs to be.**

**What better way to do that then let Jazz start plotting? **

**Right? Right.**

**Onto other matters.**

**Tell me what you think!**

**Did you like it? Do you think it's any good?**

**Have any characters you want to see? Have any questions you want to ask?**

**I'm dying to know what you guys think! After all this is my fist story like this so I'm learning as we go here. Reviews are treasured. **

**So please Read and Review!**

**Chapter 4 is done, I just need to edit it, which might go a little bit faster if I had reviews to inspire me. Just saying. :)**

**-Jay**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers nor do I claim too.**

**However, the plot of this story and any original characters are mine. So no touchy. Please and Thank you!**

**And here we have chapter 4!**

**I want to take a short moment and thank every one who has left a review. You're support means the world to me! I look forward to your feed back. I'm honored that you take the time to tell me what you think. So once again, thank you.**

**The same goes to the faves and the alerts. Thank you, thank you, thank you. **

**Sparkling Bumblebee loves you all. **

**Anyway, onward.**

**This is kind of just a stepping stone chapter. Something that had to happen for the story to go along. Not much action, but it was needed. So I hope you enjoy it!**

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Chapter 4

"Bumblebee, put that down!" The data chip flung across the rather large meeting room crashing against the wall into a million tiny pieces just before the leader of the Autobots managed to snatch it, leaving a frustrated Optimus and a giggling sparkling in its wake.

Optimus sighed heavily.

As much as he adored the new member to his crew there were a few things the sparkling was making kind of difficult. Like what in the universe they were supposed to do with him now that they had him.

"Bumblebee, I asked you to put the chip down."

"Bee did put down!" Bumblebee chirped happily from where he sat twisting around in Optimus's huge spinning meeting chair, or at least trying to twist around. Since his tiny legs kicking for all they were worth didn't really get him very much momentum he was kind of just flailing around in a fit of giggles.

"I don't think he meant against the wall, Lil' Bee." Jazz chuckled lightly strolling into the meeting room with the chief medic and weapons specialist of the ship on his heels.

"Jazzy!" Bee squealed with joy at the sight of the silver bot. A beaming smile crossed Jazz as he practically sprinted over to swing the little sparkling into his arms. The twins might be laughing at him for the nickname, but Jazz absolutely loved it. Besides, it seemed to make Bumblebee happy. Something they were all trying to accomplish.

It had only been six orns since the little one was speaking, eating, and recharging again. He was making excellent progress. It would take time to build his systems back up to what was safe since he'd gone so long without eating properly, but at least now he was being compliment. Though he had taken up refusing to go back to the med bay with Ratchet for recharge last night. Instead of resting in one of the bay rooms where Ratchet could keep a close optic on him he had clung to Ironhide for dear life. Something that both pleased and confused the mech all night long. Which also led to the meeting that was now taking place, and the reason Optimus had about half of his report data chips in a pile of shattered pieces across the room.

Let's just say Bee got bored.

"Hey what about me?" Ironhide grumbled at the sight of Jazz plopping down in a swivel chair as he tickled the giggling sparkling. Bumblebee was too busy trying to escape Jazz's grip to notice he hadn't greeted his other much loved companions until Ironhide as leaning over the table plucking him away from the saboteur.

"Hide!" Bee giggled throwing his arms around the big mech's neck, or at least attempting to, as Ironhide sat across from Jazz giving the frowning mech a smirk. Bee was far too happy at seeing the massive bot to care that he'd left Jazz's arms. He loved Ironhide's spark too much to realize anything else at the moment.

The powerful closed off warmth filled up the emptiness in his spark much like Optimus's did. Though Optimus's spark wasn't as walled up as Hide's. It was a magnificent, burning warmth that reached out to comfort the still sad sparkling as he came back to life in the care of these new bots. Bee loved the openness that was Optimus's spark, but the little sparkling liked feeling the big black mech lower his walls and let Bee snuggle into the safety that he offered up just as much. He just felt safer in Optimus's and Ironhide's arms, and since he'd spent the orn with Optimus he wanted to see Hide now.

"Traitor." Jazz huffed as he leaned against the table glaring at the little yellow mech. "I see where your loyalties lie."

"Oh mute it, Jazz." Ratchet leaned against the large table doing a quick scan of the sparkling relived to see that he seemed full and happy. The empty bottle of energon near Prime's chair conformed the little one had ate something.

Ratchet was pleased with his progress.

He'd come a long way in six orns. It was impressive, shocking in a way, but impressive nonetheless. This little mech truly was like nothing the weathered medic had seen before. It only raised his hopes though. Because if the sparkling was going to survive in a universe torn apart by war he was going to have to be like nothing that had come before him. He was going to have to grow up, and grow up quick. A notion Ratchet hated, but knew all the same it had to be that way. He just hoped that the ragtag group of rebellious believers that called this ship home, that formed their own little family here, that had taken this sparkling into each of their sparks no matter how different they all were, could give him some type of normality and sparklinghood. They all saw hope in the tiny yellow form that had been thrust into their lives and the whole army was dead set—even if some wouldn't admit it out load—on keeping him alive, healthy, and happy.

And if there was one thing Ratchet knew it was that these Autobots were a stubborn lot. If any bots could do it he knew it was his comrades.

If they could figure out how caring for a sparkling in the middle of a battleship at war was going to work that is. A knowledge that lead the medic to cast his optics over to Prime who had seated himself in his chair as he gazed with love down at the giggling form dwarfed even more by Hide's massive arms.

"Come to a decision yet, Optimus?" Ratchet asked.

Optimus nodded. "Seems your request will fit best with what he wants, Ironhide."

Ironhide just grinned.

When he offered to be the sparkling's primary caretaker, protector, and guardian he wasn't sure Prime was going to go for it. After all, Ironhide wasn't the gentlest bot in the universe. Nor did he have the best lid on his temper. He still wasn't sure how he even thought he could pull of caring for such a tiny, delicate, creature. He didn't know what possessed him with the notion that he even could, but those baby blue optics staring up at him while little Bumblebee giggled had opened up a place in his spark he thought he lost all those vorns ago. A place he'd closed off and swore he'd never return too. That one look on that battlefield had broken down every defense he'd ever thrown up around his scarred spark, and he'd been falling even faster and harder since the sparkling set foot on the ship. It was only a matter of time before his world would belong to this tiny creature wrapped up in his arms playing with a scratch on his battle scarred chestplates.

Little did he know though, Optimus, Ratchet, and even Jazz could see it just as much as he could feel it. It made his old friends smile behind his back at the Hide they thought they lost what felt like a lifetime ago. It relived all of them to see that smile on his once cold faceplate. Sure they knew Ironhide had always been impulsive, battle ready, maybe even a little cruel at times if crossed, but he had always had that big lovable inside as long as they'd known him. For a while now they'd thought they lost that side of him to pain and spark-ache.

It relived them to see it back.

Optimus maybe more than any of them. Which was why he sat down the table from his friend smiling, knowing the sparkling was doing for Ironhide just as much as he was doing for Optimus. This little creature was a magical little miracle sent form Primus himself as far as Optimus was concerned. He had every intention of keeping him very safe, happy, and well. He knew that it was going to take every mech on this ship to make that happen. Especially the four of them—his closest friends—that were trying to help him win a war he helped cause in the first place.

Yes, Ironhide would be the perfect pick for the sparkling's new guardian. He would need one anyway, and Optimus couldn't be it. Bumblebee was already going to be in enough danger just being close to his spark. Optimus couldn't let the sparkling fully be his charge. No matter how much he wanted to, his brother would feel it, and that would be a death sentence for the giggling little one. Something Optimus would not allow.

"So if Hide gets to be his guardian what does that make the rest of us?" Jazz pouted while he glared at Ironhide. Not that he was disputing the pick. He was all for the massive mech being closest to the sparkling for many reasons. The notion just saddened him that the tiny mech would bond with Hide more than the rest of them.

At least that was what he figured would happen.

He already loved Bumblebee like the little brother he had always wanted, like the family he would never have again, and he was afraid of losing his chance.

"Just because he bonds with Ironhide doesn't mean he won't be fully attached to you too you big youngling." Ratchet rolled his optics. "We all will become a family to one that young. He will not know any different. He has felt the loss of his carrier, and Ironhide's guardian bond with him will help fill that, but it will take much more for him to feel whole with a loss such as that so young."

"I wasn't worried about that!" Jazz lied trying to wave off the three knowing smiles he got at already being so attached to the sparkling. "I just mean Ironhide still has his shifts to work, duties to perform, missions to go kick aft on—"

"Stop cussing in front of him!" Ratchet seethed at the smaller silver bot. "He's still learning to speak, and he will repeat _everything _he hears! Especially if he hears it a lot!"

"Well with as much cussing and swearing that goes on around this ship he's going to have quite the vocabulary." Jazz smirked before he bolted from his chair narrowly avoiding the random scanner that Ratchet had had at the moment that was tossed at his head. Jazz laughed, celebrating his skill, only to be wacked upside the head by a data chip that was flung from the sparkling hands.

"No making mad!" Bee glared over at the mech he'd just nailed in the head. "No fight!"

For a moment the room was shocked into silence as the four mechs stared down at the pouting little faceplate for a few moments until Ironhide busted out laughing. "Well done, Bumblebee! I knew you were gonna fit right in around here." He praised.

"You little traitor! How could you?" Jazz snapped.

"Now who's teaching bad habits, Ratchet?" Optimus chuckled.

"Oh Primus help us all." Ratchet sighed as he sank down in the chair beside Ironhide and watched with amusement as Bumblebee glared over at Jazz who was glaring right back.

"Jazzy no make Ratch mad." Bee scolded.

"I didn't do nothin'!" Jazz sank back down into his chair rubbing the spot the data chip had shattered against his head. "That hurt by the way. How the frag can you throw so hard?"

"Jazz," Ironhide grumbled a warning while Bumblebee clicked with pride.

"If you don't draw attention to it he won't even notice." Jazz rolled his optics.

"Oh and you know this because of _all_ the sparklings you've raised." Ratchet accused.

"No, I don't claim to know nothin' other than the truth." He retorted falling back and crossing his arms over his chest as he continued his fake pout to Bee who was just grinning wickedly at him.

"Sure." Ratchet shook his head.

"How about we just try to reframe from any foul language that might hinder the sparklings development, alright?" Optimus offered.

"We're in the middle of a war, Prime." Jazz pointed out. "I think curse words are the last thing we need to be worrying might 'hinder the sparklings development'."

"What war?"

All four mechs went ridged as Bee pushed himself up against Ironhide's chest to gaze around at the towering bots. Their conversation was boring him so he decided to ask about the word he didn't know what meant. What was war anyway? And why did it seem to have such a bad connection to him? His carrier had never talked about war. He'd never heard the word before he came to be with Optimus and Hide. They said it a lot, and it seemed to have some kind of negative meaning behind it. Yet Bumblebee had no idea what it was. And since the little mech lived off his curiosity he wanted to know what it meant.

Ironhide was about ready to see how many ways he could twist his foolish saboteur friend before he would snap in half when Bee poked him in his chest. "What war? Hide?"

Ironhide gulped.

How was he supposed to answer that? _Nothing you need to understand yet, little Bumblebee. _That was what he wanted to say, but he knew that would never satisfy a sparkling. Especially this sparkling. Bumblebee was curious and intelligent; something that would both help and hinder him throughout his life. Right now was one of those times it was hindering him.

He was just too young to understand. Wasn't he?

Ironhide quickly glanced from the yellow mech in his arms to Optimus and Ratchet who were staring at each other in some heated silent glare match while Jazz sunk down in his seat quite happy to become invisible at the moment if he could. He would have given anything to be Mirage or Prowl right then. He was a gifted ninja, but even he couldn't vanish from this crowd.

"Jazz," Optimus broke his stare with the medic to turn share his glare. The silver mech he pinned in his sights shrank down even further until only his optics were visible over the table top. Optimus's optics narrowed at the sight. "How about you answer that question?"

"I'd rather not." Jazz mumbled.

"I'd rather he not too." Ironhide snapped turning to Prime. The last bot in the universe he wanted to explain _war _to Bumblebee was that nut case. The sparkling would think it was a game with the way Jazz couldn't take anything seriously.

Bee let out an unhappy click drawing all optics back to him. "Tell Bee."

"Well," Optimus sighed, thinking over how he was going to go about explaining this. "Bumblebee, war is fighting. It's when two opposite sides don't agree on something and battle each other because of it."

Bee simply blinked in response.

"Yeah, he doesn't get that." Jazz snorted.

"You got a better way of explaining it?" Ratchet growled.

"Yeah," Jazz pulled himself back up in his chair before leaning on the table casting a beaming grin over to Bumblebee. He didn't want to have this conversation with him, but he knew the sparkling wouldn't be satisfied until somebot explained the thing he didn't understand. "You want to know what war is, Lil' Bee?"

Bee nodded.

"Okay think of it this way." He thought over the best way to describe it. "You know those mean bots that hurt you before the bunch of us found you?"

Bee turned away with a sad look crossing over his optics as he nodded once again. Though this time the motion was sad and forced.

"Well we don't like those bots. Those bots don't like us. So we don't really get along and we fight with each other because neither of us think the other is right. That's pretty much what war is." _Summed up for a sparkling that is. _Jazz added to himself.

He wasn't sure there was a simple way to explain war, and he was pretty sure his way of going about it sucked, but it was all he could come up with. What was he supposed to say? That Prime had an evil, murderous, back stabbing, cruel, twisted, psychopath for an older brother that was trying to destroy the universe and that the Autobots were trying to stop him. He didn't really see that explanation going over all that well.

"No like each other?" Bee tilted his head.

"No." Jazz replied.

"Why?"

"Well they ain't all that nice."

"That why hurt Bee?"

Ironhide nodded. "Yes."

"Me no like mean bots." Bee stared up at Ironhide with innocently wide optics.

Ironhide sighed as painful memories flashed through him.

"So war is fight?" Bee twisted in Hide's hold to stare over at Optimus.

The Autobot leader nodded.

"Me not like war."

"Neither do we, Bumblebee." Optimus answered.

That got the youngling to tilt his head again. If they didn't like it why did they do it? This was all very confusing.

"Then why fight?"

That question hit home to all of them. So simply asked yet with a meaning behind it that silenced them all. How exactly did they explain that one?

"Because if we don't there won't be anything left to fight over." Ratchet told the little sparkling quietly.

"Why?"

Ironhide spoke up. "You'll understand one orn." With that he decided it was time to distract Bumblebee before anymore spark wrenching questions were asked. Glancing down the table to Optimus he was granted a nod.

"Bumblebee?" The Autobot leader drew the tiny sparklings focus again. "I have a question for you."

"Question?" Bee chirped.

"Yes," Optimus nodded unable to hide his smile. "You want to stay here don't you, Bumblebee?"

"No want go no place else." He answered not quite sure what Optimus meant. After all, he didn't have anywhere else to go. His carrier was never coming back. He was all alone in this big universe. He wasn't all that thrilled with the notion of leaving the second chance of a family he'd just found.

"We were kinda hopping you'd say that." Jazz smirked.

Bee glanced his way unsure of his smile before Optimus's voice drew him back again.

"Then you will stay here aboard _Artemis 1_ with us, and Ironhide will become your guardian. Do you understand what that means?"

Bee tilted his head. He thought he might, but he wasn't positive. "Protect Bee?"

"Yes." The sparkling just kept shocking Optimus though he was glad it was happening. The little mech was a bright one. That would help him later on. "We all will protect you Bee, but you will be spending most of your time with Ironhide."

"Not see Opt? Not see Jazzy?" Bee pouted.

"Don't worry little Bumblebee you will still see us." Optimus assured with a chuckle at the look that was shot his way. It was plain to see the notion of not seeing the other mechs he'd taken such a liking too wasn't something Bumblebee was about to agree too. The fact made Optimus smile. He already loved the sparkling more than even he knew he should. He couldn't change it though. Bumblebee was a part of his spark now, and he wasn't about to try and take him out. It would do far more harm to the both of them than any amount of good.

"Yeah, ya ain't ditching me that easy!" Jazz put it as equally happy to hear that the sparkling wanted to be around him.

"When Ironhide's on duty and such. Then you will be watched by another bot. But do you understand what it will means to have a guardian?"

Bumblebee thought over the question for another moment.

He thought he understood.

Then again these mechs confused him sometimes. Like when they wanted him to stay in the med bay to recharge. He didn't like that place. It reminded him of when he realized his carrier was never coming back. He liked Ratchet; he just didn't like the med bay. He wanted to stay with Ironhide, or Optimus. Was that what guardian meant? He wasn't sure. He wished he knew how to ask, but these bots didn't really understand him when he started clicking. Not like his carrier had. Ratchet sometimes understood, but most of the time he had to try and use big bot words with them. He almost sighed and shook his head at that thought. The poor big mechs, they just weren't able to get the little beep, clicks, and sounds he made.

Opening his mouth a couple of times he went to speak, but couldn't figure out how to form the words he wanted. With a frustrated click he slummed down against Ironhide's massive chest feeling a soft chuckle rumble though the bot behind him.

"Guardian." He tried again. "Mean to . . . ."

"It's family, Lil' Bee." Jazz spoke up. As amusing as it was watching Bumblebee try to come up with an answer he knew the more frustrated the little one got the less they would be able to have his input on this, and in all actually they needed his input. They needed to know what _he _wanted, not just what they did. "It means you'll be a part of our glitchy little psycho family. If you want that is."

"Well that's one way to word it." Optimus snorted.

"You should have let me explain." Ratchet rolled his optics. "That glitch head couldn't tell a cyber-duck how to fly."

"Hey!" Jazz leapt to his feet almost growling at the medic. "I take offence to that!"

"Really I would have thought you'd agree?" Ratchet raised an optic ridge.

"Listen here you old med—"

"Enough," Optimus never even raise his voice before both bots were back in their chairs, fuming silently mind you, but at least they weren't about to try and dismantle each other in front of the sparkling. Optimus couldn't be having that. The little one already saw Ironhide give those foolish twins a good beating and the leader's audio processors were still ringing from the rather loud lecture Ratchet gave the whole ship after that incident. It was silently concluded that fighting should try to be avoided around the sparkling. If not for his health than for everyone else's. "Now, I have reports to salvage. Jazz don't you have some business with Prowl?"

The silver mech nodded.

"Well why don't you take Bee with you. I still need to speak further with Ironhide and Ratchet."

"You got it boss bot," Jazz made his way around the table scooping up Bumblebee before heading out of Prime's meeting room toward the lair that was Prowl's tech room. He smirked at the thought. The little sparkling was going to have a field day in there.

"Where go?" Bee questioned.

"We're going to extend your knowledge of family." Jazz chuckled bouncing Bumblebee in his arms before settling him down against his chest.

"What mean?"

Jazz glanced down to the bright baby blue optics that stared back up at him with more hope and promise than the saboteur had seen in vorns. The little mech was staying. Jazz wanted to scream his excitement to the whole universe, but for now he would settle for watching the tiny creature drive Prowl glitchy.

The over all satisfactory would be the same

So with a quiet laugh and a beaming smile Jazz strolled off down the hall of the battleship with the curious sparkling safe in his grasp.

"You'll see, Lil' Bee. You'll see."

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**Well there you have it.**

**Bumblebee is officially part of the family! Hooray! **

**On other note I want to point out that in no way is he 100% well after the weeks of little sleep and food, he is still getting better, but there is something about little Bumblebee that makes him bounce back a little faster than most. **

**Oh wait . . . I can't be giving all the dirty little secrets away yet, now can I? **

**Never mind. :)**

**This chapter was mostly just Optimus and the gang trying to figure out how raising a sparkling in the middle of a war was going to work. Just because they found him and saved him doesn't mean everything is going to magically work out. They are still an army at war, and he is still just a tiny sparkling with no where to go and no one to turn too. Caring for him and making sure he has a stable family structure is something that's going to be an on going struggle. **

**It needed to be decided who was going to be responsible for him and how his care was going to be managed **

**And as far as I'm concerned the giant, lovable, cannon welding Weapons Specialist seemed the perfect candidate for his primary care taker. After all there is a little bit of a past hanging over Ironhide's spark that makes him the best choice . . . hint . . . hint. I wonder who's going to guess that little secret first. **

**So yeah, Chapter 4. **

**I hope you guys liked it! ****Please Read and Review. ****I love to know what you guys think! **

**Also, all the chapters for Right _Where You Belong _are now written! All I have to do is edit them! . . . yay. **

**In all honesty when I decided to put this story up here I was kind of terrified. I've never really let people read what I write. Well other than close friends and such, so this was a big step for me. However, I love this story and all of it's parts. Yes there are many, _many_, parts at least in my head. Weather or not they all make it to paper kind of depends on the feedback I get. If you guys like it and you want to know what happens your going to have to let me know. **

**Because I'm really enjoying this so far. I love the community that is this site, I love reading other peoples stories, and I like other people being able to enjoy mine. I hope that you'll love reading it as much as I do writing it.**

**I might put Chapter 5 up this weekend, kind of depends of what you guys think, and if I get it edited. So I hope you liked this chapter and I hope you stick with Little Bee because with all the trouble and adventures I've got planned for him it's going to be one heck of a ride.**

**Dang this was a long note. Sorry, and umm thanks to you who actually read it.**

**Please Read and Review! **

**Chat with ya later! **

**-Jay**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers**

**However, this story and any OCs are mine.**

**And here we have chapter 5! **

**Little bit of a time jump here, but it was necessary. **

**To all of you that were hoping for little Bee running a muck in Prowl's office . . . hee hee sorry. The chapter just didn't flow that way. Started out that way and than suddenly I was writing something completely different. *sigh* Probably didn't help that I rewrote this stupid chapter six freaking times! Six! **

**Gah! **

**It just wouldn't come out the way I wanted it too. So I'm sorry if you are disappointed, but to tell you the truth I like the results. **

**I hope you do too. And hay it's a day early! **

**Considering all that happened this week I'm actually surprised.**

**Anyway, there was a question about which version of Transformers I'm using. Whether it was the Animated version or not. And to tell you the truth I think I've kind of mixed them all together. If that makes any sense. I'm probably leaning more toward movie verse, but like I mentioned before there are so many characters and options that I thinks its wrong to exclude any. **

**So I guess it's kind of all of them. I hope that answers your questions. If not let me know and I'll try again. **

**Once again thank you for the reviews, and faves! They mean the world to me. **

**Now, go for and enjoy baby Bumblebee!**

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Chapter 5

Twirling a colorful little cube that had been given to him by Optimus, Bumblebee stared out a window of the mighty battleship _Artemis 1_. Billions of burning bright lights twinkling in the black nothingness before him fascinated the young mech as he twiddled with the colorful toy. The cube itself bored him, but he had never had a toy of any kind before he came to be here so he was grateful for every one even if now he had tones now.

He tried to give each one equal attention.

The cube was shinny and interesting even if all he could really do was twist it back and forth. However, the real thing he was interested in at the moment was the sparks he was searching for throughout the ship. He'd come to know every spark around him in the megacycle that had pasted since Ironhide had become his guardian and he had been welcomed into this crew of a family. They had learned the way he was and he had learned their ways in return. His powerful, strange, but intriguing all the same spark and its vast openness with his ability to do much the same thing Optimus could had become customary to the mechs. They learned that he could find them wherever they were on this ship and that he could silently call out to any caretaker he wanted.

At first it was strange.

That one so tiny could know all that was going on around him. They had grown use to it though. Most found it fun. It was a sort of a game to Bumblebee and his new family enjoyed it just as much as he did. Which was why the little mech sat staring out into the emptiness of space as he felt around the twisting halls and many rooms of this ship for his guardian and Optimus. He wondered what was taking the two so long. It wasn't that he didn't like being watched by his present sparklingsitter. Hound was entertaining and kind, but he was nowhere near as much fun as Jazz or the twins.

Who the later of had left Bee to go blow each other up in the weapons room.

Bee wasn't happy about that.

Which was why he'd snuck off.

Quite a feat when you took into consideration the fact that he couldn't walk but a few steps without ending up on his faceplate. However, Bumblebee was quite the bright little bot. He prided himself in that. He also prided himself in the fact that he found a way to sneak away. The rec room wasn't that hard to get out of. He just had to wait until Hound got distracted by something and then he simply crawled his tiny little skidplate out of there.

He had been going in search of the twins or maybe Jazz.

Prowl and Ratchet went with Optimus and Ironhide so Bumblebee figured that his best bet would be to find the twins since Jazz was probably in an office somewhere doing boring things. Not to mention that Bee wanted his guardian, and he wanted him now, so he intended to find a way to make that happen. He thought Sunny and Sides would be the quickest way to get what he wanted. Only he had come across a slight problem. He couldn't find the weapons room.

And his tiny hands and knees hurt from crawling so he had sat himself down in a large window with his little cube as he searched out the twins. Their sparks were around here somewhere he just couldn't figure out how to get there.

Sitting there he thought about calling out for his caretakers, but he was kind of having too much fun exploring at the moment. Ironhide hadn't really let him out of his sight since he became his guardian so Bee hadn't got to see much of the ship. He had really only been in the rec room, the mess hall, Optimus's meeting room, the med bay, and his new quarters which happened to be Hide's chambers that had kind of turned into a sparkling safe haven. Bee loved his knew room. Though he loved the look on Ironhide's faceplate even more when he got a look at what Wheeljack and Ratchet had done to his chambers.

Bee had giggled for a breem.

Now though he wasn't giggling. He wanted his guardian, and he wanted Optimus. He didn't like them being gone. They had promised they would be back by now and they weren't.

"Bumblebee!" The little sparkling perked up at the sound of his name being screamed from somewhere down the ship.

He smiled.

He could feel Hound and Trailbreaker searching for him. He could feel their worry and panic though he wasn't quite sure what had them so worried. The large green mech and his black brother were supposed to be watching him while Ironhide was gone. Bumblebee had been in the meeting room when his guardian threw a full on fit about leaving him and had only stopped when Prime promised that the laid back, reliable, Hound was going to be watching the sparkling. Bee hadn't understood at the time, but now he did.

He wished now Hide had thrown an even bigger fit.

He knew he should probably let them find him, but he didn't want to. It was getting late and soon he'd have to go to recharge. He didn't want to have to go to recharge without Ironhide. He didn't like recharging in the first place; he saw things that haunted his processor when he did. But when he curled up next to Hide's or Opt's sparks those scary things went away.

And so he had refused to go into recharge until Ironhide came back. One of the many reasons he had decided it would just be better to go exploring this orn until Ironhide came and found him. Hound and Trail could look all they liked. They wouldn't find him.

Picking up his flickering cube Bee crawled away from his window hideaway in search of the weapons room. He kept crawling down the long halls of the ship using his talent of feeling sparks to know where the mechs who searched for him were so he could avoid them. It was easy. Though he couldn't find the bots he was looking for.

That was frustrating.

Where were they?

Sadly though, Bee didn't get to wonder after the problem for too long.

A sudden explosion from far down the ship knocked the little sparkling flat on his poor little faceplate. Panic from all around the ship raced its way into his spark making him shudder while he pushed himself up as fear slipped into him.

"Hide?" He squeaked knowing his new guardian wasn't around to here or feel him call out for help.

* * *

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't blow him up!" Ironhide's cannons were pulsing with anger as he paced the _Longbow's_ meeting room about ready to blow a hole in something or somebot. He didn't care which he just needed to blast something.

He had promised Bumblebee he'd be back by now. He'd _promised!_

Damn that slaggin' bastard Megatron! Keeping him away from his little Bee! He'd blast that slagger all the way to the Pit.

And now Hotrod had to go and piss him off.

"Calm down, Ironhide." Optimus placed a hand on his friends shoulder knowing just how much the massive mech was on edge right now.

"Calm down!?" Ironhide swung back seriously humoring the idea of blasting Prime. "I'll calm down when we're back on the fragging ship! We were supposed to be back by now!"

"The sparkling will be fine for an orn, Hide." Hotrod rolled his optics. "Besides this meeting is about_ him _so you do kinda need to be present. It's not my fault you four decided to go play hide and seek with Mega-idiot right outside my base."

"I will blast you to fragging—"

"Enough!" Prowl pulled the weapons specialist away from Hotrod who was about to become one with a cannon blast as Ratchet glared over at Rod.

"Can you two try to be civil for a couple of breems? Please!"

"Sorry," Rod apologized knowing that Ironhide was right to be on edge. Now was not the time to annoy the cannon wielding lunatic. They hadn't had the best orn since Megatron decided to set his base on fire and wipe out half a battalion. They all had their reasons for being short at the moment.

"Now," Prime let out a tired breath as he sank down in a chair keeping a close optic on Hide as he paced over in the corner with Prowl quietly scolding him. The hardened strategist was probably the most level headed at the moment so Optimus was happy to let his second in command handle Ironhide. "We need to—"

Blaring cut him off making every bot in the room turn to the leader as his communicator went off. Confused Optimus answered.

**"Ye—" **

An explosion on the other end of the link made Prime flinch.

**"Optimus!"** Jazz's panicked voice cut though the dead silence so loud that every bot could hear the transmission putting everybot on edge.

**"Jazz what's—"**

**"Shockwave!"** Jazz screamed into the comm before a rocket blast made static take over the transmission for a moment. **"He's blowin' up the fragging ship! And I can't find Bee!"  
**

* * *

With his shaking little frame curled into a tiny ball in the first dark corner he could find Bumblebee whimpered quietly as another gun blast not too far off shock his form. Fat tear drops rolled from his optics as he curled tighter in on himself trying to escape the noises and the feelings he didn't understand.

Something bad was happening.

He'd been through enough with his carrier to know that. He'd been in situations pretty similar to this one before, and he hadn't liked it then either. He wanted his guardian. He wanted his Optimus.

He just wanted one of his new family members to come and find him, but he was too afraid to reach out to find them. There were too many evil presences bombarding his little spark for him to fully processes anything other than throwing up his walls and hideing. He didn't want any of those dark, mean feeling mechs to come anywhere near him. So he hid, shivered, and listened as the horrible sounds of battle assaulted him.

Where was his Ironhide?

Another blast shook Bee again making him squeak in fear before his name bounced around the air after it.

"Bumblebee!" The little sparkling perked up at the sound of Sideswipe's voice calling out for him before another missile sending up another explosion not far from where Bee hid. "Half Pint where are you!?"

The frantic red mech kept praying to Primus that the next corner he rounded he was going to find the little yellow mech sitting in the floor waiting for him, but so far all he'd found was 'Con after 'Con just asking the bright red warrior to blow their heads off. So he did, all the while waiting for the sparkling to reach out and let him know where he was.

Only it wasn't happening.

Sunstreaker blasted a 'Con that snuck up behind Sides as he stuck in head in a closet looking for Bee.

"Watch your back slag head!" Sun glared over at him kicking the dead 'Con away from his brother the image of the cannon being raised behind his little brother's head still flashing behind the golden warrior's optics.

"Help me find the sparkling!" Sides snapped slamming the door shut his frantic panic beginning to get the better of his temper.

"I'm trying!" Sunny hissed.

"Lecturing me ain't helping me find him!"

"Weren't Hound and Trail supposed to be watching him anyway!?"

"That was before Shockwave decided to blow up our portside engine!" Sides yelled as Sun charge his blaster while the two glared each other down before both mechs waved the other off with a snort and took off down the halls again trying to find Bumblebee.

"How in Pit did the little mech get out of the rec room anyway?" Sun questioned as they bolted around another corridor coming up empty.

"How should I know?" Sides glanced around frantically. "But we have to find him before Shockwave and his damn clones do."

"That won't end well." Sun agreed.

As much as Sunstreaker was trying to keep cool about the whole situation on the inside his spark was pulsing in panic. He was well aware his brother could feel it, just as much as he could feel his, but neither made a habit of being all that open with their emotions most of the time to any bot so it wasn't something they were all that willing to express. Even if their panic was painfully obvious.

The two mech's adored the little sparkling probably more than most on this ship simply because they found him spunky and fun. They felt a spark right after theirs' that they wanted to be close to. And now that they couldn't find him they were going out of their fragging processors.

Bee on the other hand was feeling better in that moment than he had in several klicks.

He could feel the twins coming closer just as much as he could hear them. Pushing himself to his wobbly little feet he stuck his head out of his hiding place the tiny little antenna points atop his head flicking with alert. His bright, teary optics searching for the forms of the twins he could feel getting closer. However, in his search his spark was too preoccupied to notice the towering 'Con by the name of Skywarp rounding the long corridor behind him. That is until the crash of said 'Cons foot slamming down right behind him. A terrified chirp left the little bot as he fell to the ground from the force of the step and found himself looking up into the dark red optics of a tall purple mech that blinked back down at him in utter shock.

For a moment the pair just stared at each other. Bee to afraid to make a sound, and Skywarp too confused to do much else.

_A sparkling?_ Hadn't his master killed all of them?

Skywarp had been there when the last Sector fell. He himself had been a part of the massacre. He knew very well he wasn't the brightest bot out there, but he was sure all the sparklings were gone. Besides Shockwave hadn't said anything about sparklings. He and the rest of the battalion were striking the base while Prime was away. They were looking for battle plans and such. Any secrets the foolish cowards might be hiding.

Not sparklings that shouldn't even be online.

A brilliant thought raced across the Decepticon's processor.

Maybe this little runt of a thing was a secret.

Yes! A smile crept up the 'Cons face.

This would certainly please his master. If Prime was harboring a surviving sparkling that would be something Megatron would want to know. Skywarp knew he needed to take the sparkling though, because no bot was going to believe him otherwise. Lunging forward he snatched the tiny bundle up off the floor only to have his audio processor practically fried by the scream that suddenly erupted from the sparkling.

Bee knew as soon as that ugly mech's hand closed around him he didn't like what was happening. He didn't want to go with the mech with red optics. Mechs like that had only ever been curl to him. They had hurt him more than once. He didn't want this one to touch him.

And touch him painfully on top of that.

This big fool obviously didn't know anything about holding sparklings. Bumblebee figured that one out in a nano-klick. Those long pointed purple fingers snatched him up off the floor digging into his soft frame drawing thick drops of energon to his stinging frame. It was at that point the little sparkling did the only thing he could do. He'd never been one to scream, his carrier had always told him that crying along with screaming was useless and wouldn't help anything, so he'd never really been big on expressing himself with fits, but fear over took habit in that moment and Bee screamed for all he was worth. It was the only way of fighting back he had against the massive mech, and maybe if he was lucky the noise would draw the twins to him.

He didn't plan on what the mech would do to mute him though.

Annoyed and pained by the sound of his scream Skywarp clenched his hand tight almost crushing Bee in the process. If the sparkling hadn't been smart enough to curl tight in on himself he would have never survived the impulsive action. The 'Con suddenly realized that he might have crushed his only evidence and quickly relaxed his hand peaking down between his fingers to see a tiny Bumblebee curled up with his arms wrapped around his legs, energon dripping in a growing stream from his sides and various other places as fat scared tears rolled from his optics.

Skywarp was unimpressed by the sight.

The little runt's pain was of no worry to him as long as his discovery stayed alive long enough to show to Megatron. His master would be pleased with the secret he found. He would be rewarded for his efforts. Now he just had to get the little runt back to Shockwave and get out of this slaggin' ship.

"Bumblebee!" Frantically brought by the sound of the scream that was brought to an abrupt end Sideswipe and Sunstreaker appeared at the other end of the corridor in a scrambled, hurried, painting mess. Through optics clouded with tears and pain Bee saw his twin caretakers as they locked optics back with him theirs widening with fear at the sight of the little yellow mech clutched tightly in the Decepticon's grasp with energon coating his tiny frame.

"You bastard!" Sunstreaker swung his double swords toward the Decepticon seeker at the sight of the bleeding sparkling he had secretly come to adore. "Put him down!"

Sideswipe drew his blasters alongside his brother equally angered and scared, but he knew one thing Sunstreaker was forgetting. Attacking Skywarp was like attacking air. He could teleport in the blink of an optic and be gone with Bee before either of them could land a hit. Not to mention any attack they tried might end up hurting Bumblebee. Something they couldn't risk.

"Let him go!" Sideswipe ground out leveling his blaster with the 'Cons optics knowing full well he couldn't fire. Knowing full well that Skywarp knew he wouldn't. He and his brother were helpless to save Bumblebee as long as the Deception had him in his grasp.

Bee watched in silent fear as his beloved twins squared off with the mean bot that had him at the moment. He was sure that they would save him. They were Sunny and Sides after all. They had told Bee again and again that they were the best warriors the Autobots had, and that no bot could best them. They would save him. He was positive. He'd be back with them, Ironhide, and Optimus before he knew it. Than this big mech couldn't make him hurt anymore.

Or so he thought.

"I don't think so." Skywarp smirked. "Little secret is coming with me."

And just like that he was gone.

Bee gasped in shock as his surroundings changed in a reflective surge of silver and purple. Suddenly he was being shaken around like some toy in the mean mech's hand as he ran though burning ruble that surrounded Bee in a chocking cloud of smoke and emotions that bombarded him. The strange happening only added to the draining pain that was thumping away in the gashes the mean bot had cut into him, not to mention the many more he was getting by being held so tightly and bounced around like he was some plaything. He wanted to scream his annoyance to the whole ship, but the last time he'd screamed it had only ended up with him in even more pain.

He wasn't all that big on making it happen again.

So he curled tightly in on himself trying to ignore all the stuff he didn't understand at the moment and focus on one thing. He collected all of his little self into one single task and sent his spark in search of the two bots he knew would make all this bad stuff stop.

He called out for Ironhide and Optimus trying to push all his pain and fear into the plea hoping that they would make this mech leave him alone. However, he wasn't able to find the sparks he was calling for because the running bot came to an abrupt stop as canon blast, shouting, roaring flames, and all the sounds the little sparkling hated grew louder.

Confused as to why the bot had stopped he dared to peak out of his tightly shut optics to find that he was outside the battleship he had come to view as home.

He blinked in surprise. How had he gotten out here?

Glancing up he found the purple mech watching several bots battle at the entrance of the battleship down below them from the place they had somehow ended up. Bee squeaked in glee when he caught sight of Sides and Sunny down there blowing things to pieces. Then he saw Jazz among them. Than Hound and Trailbreaker. Almost every other bot he had come to know fighting the many that stood in their way. Bee wasn't sure why they were fighting, though he guessed that this must be war. That thing Optimus and Jazz had tried to explain to him. These must be more of the bad bots that his family didn't like. That must be why this mean one had taken Bee away.

Bumblebee didn't like this war and he certainly didn't like being taken away. He wanted to be with the Autobots that had become his family. He wanted Jazz and the twins to look up here and see him in this mean bots grasp. He wanted them to come and get him, but they weren't and he didn't know how to get them too.

"I told you to find their mission room!" A metallic, raspy, harsh voice tore Bumblebee from watching his caretakers to find a horrible looking silver mech with one burning red optic and a long pulsing cannon trudging toward him. Shivering in fear the little bot shrank down in his captor's hand suddenly thinking this mean bot was way better than _that _mean bot. "What are you doing!?"

"Found a secret." Skywarp announced proudly not at all fearing the mood swings that were Shockwave.

Any sensible bot would.

This evil plague of a bot was worse than Megatron some claimed and was beyond cruel. However, Skywarp wasn't really all that sensible.

He was simply a follower and when not at his master's side he was told to keep a close watch on Shockwave, following the evil mech where ever he went to make sure that he and his little sidekick Starscream weren't planning anything. The look that over took the all logic and reason Deception was utterly priceless to the seeker as he watched Shockwave catch sight of the shivering, bleeding sparkling in his grasp.

"That's not possible." Shockwave rasped out reaching for the tiny form in Skywarp's hand only to have the seeker slam his digits shut earning a pained squeak from the sparkling and a low growl from the big purple mech.

"We will take to Lord Megatron." The seeker informed. "Call off your clones we will return to base."

"All the sparklings are dead!" Shockwave hissed reaching again only to have Skywarp transform his free hand into a rocket launcher and aim it at Shockwave's spark. "I calculated the results! I preformed all the attacks! I planned the whole thing! They are all dead! All the Autobots foolish hopes died with them!"

"Obviously this one is not."

"He will be if you keep crushing him like that, slag head." Shockwave hissed out. Skywarp quickly lessen his grip feeling the little sparkling take a few ragged breaths before sobs over took his body. The seeker ignored him and went back to glaring at his fellow 'Con.

Bee gasped for breath each one sending painful shocks though his little frame.

His fragile form couldn't take much more of this. He was still just a sparkling, he didn't have the frame or the residence that full grown bots did. The slightest injury could kill him if allowed to go on to long, and by that point he had lost a lot of energon. His sight was going blurry half from his tears and half from his pain. He could feel his systems start to slow down and his frame try to make up for all the blue that was seeping out of his injuries.

At that point he had opted to ignore the mean bots. His little processor was beyond scared and way past confused. He was left with only the ability to wrap his arms tight around his injured body and shiver as sobs shook him. _Hide? _He called out his tiny spark starting to flicker in and out as pain over took him. _Opt? _

Weren't they coming to save him?

They weren't there though. He couldn't find them. So who was going to save him from these mean bots? Terrified he closed his optics tight wishing for something, anything.

Another sudden explosion wasn't really what he'd been wishing for, but he guessed it served its purpose.

He might have been there when the cannon blast hit Skywarp in the back sending both Bumblebee and his captor tumbling down the hill before them, but for the life of Bee he didn't know where it came from.

One moment he was trying to tune out the pain and the next he was laying in a pile of ash as Skywarp groaned over to his side trying to pick himself up off the ground. Only the Decepticon never got the chance when a massive form broke though the smoke snatching him by the shoulders with wickedly curved claws that dug deep into the mechs armor and hauled him with a cry of pain into the dark sky.

Bee blinked in shock as he stared at where his captor had once been and found nothing. He wasn't sure if the pain had finally got to his young processor or if he really just saw that happen, but thankfully for the aching little sparkling he didn't have to think about it any longer. Because from the battle that roared not too far from him where the Autobots, pushed by power built out of fear and anger, were sending Shockwave and his clones running back for their master.

From the burning battlefield of warriors a figure stood out among the rest.

Somehow, in the chaos Bee caught sight of a familiar form braking from the carnage. Bright blue, wide with panic, optics caught sight of the injured little form sitting alone in the ash. A wave of relief mixed with terror washed over Optimus as he sprinted for the creature that had won his spark so easily, so quickly, not stopping until he had Bumblebee scooped up in his hand cradling him close to his spark.

Bumblebee was clicking softly with glee, but the little mech was truly in too much pain to do anything other than cling to Optimus's chestplates as the spark that engulfed him tried to force out all that was harming the sparkling while the Autobot leader spun around running back to the ship with Ratchet's med bay the only thing in his thoughts.

* * *

**There you have it!**

**The unthinkable has finally come to light! The 'Cons found Bumblebee. **

**Come on now, this had to happen sooner of later. It's a war for crying out loud! Optimus couldn't keep him hidden forever. Sooner or later the secret was going to come out.**

**And now the only question that truly remains is . . . what happens next? . . . And who was it that saved Bee?**

**Ah, I love it. **

**Please tell me what you think, I love to read your reviews!**

**On another note, there is only one chapter left of _Right Where You Belong _and than the real good stuff beginnings. **

**I might put it up tomorrow or the next day. Maybe. Depends on the feedback. Hint. Hint. :) **

**Please Read and Review! **

**And thanks for sticking with me guys! Your support is appreciated!**

**Chat with ya later**

**-Jay **


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. All rights to rightful owners.**

**However, the plot and OCs are mine.**

**Chapter 6!**

**The end of the beginning I guess you would call it.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 6

"OUT!" Ratchet's scream echoed around the crowded medical bay.

"I'm not going anywhere!" Ironhide growled.

"GET OUT BEFORE I FRY ALL OF YOU!"

Getting patched up after Ratchet finally screamed loud enough that every mech in the ship went running from the bay doors surprisingly entertained Bumblebee once he knew he was safe again. Despite all that was happening the little sparkling did kind of love being the center of attention.

Alright, more like he wallowed in it.

Now that he was save in Ratchet's hands he knew the medic would make him stop hurting, and with Ironhide and Optimus pacing impatiently on the other side of the bay doors Bee was certain that everything was going to be alight again. His family would make sure of that.

It was several breems and a whole lot of painful pokes with various needles and tools later before the skilled medic finally let out a tired sigh as he stared down at the little sparkling who played with the wrench he'd given him to keep him busy while he was patched up. The medic had to do a slight energon transfusion when he finally got Bee to sit still long enough due to the amount of energon he'd lost from the gash Skywarp tore in his side. With no other options Ratchet used his own, just to keep Ironhide from having another panic attack. Not to mention what he figured Prime would do. Somehow through it all though the little sparkling had come out of the whole horrible experience not too worse for wear.

He'd be just fine in a couple of orns with a little rest.

There was just one thing Ratchet stood before Bumblebee wondering.

How in the name of Primus did the little mech managed to get away from that idiot Skywarp anyway?

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe had seen the seeker teleport away. How was it that Bumblebee ended up just outside the fighting where Optimus found him? There was no way he could have gotten away from the Decepticon on his own. The sparkling was clever, but not that clever.

"Ratch?" The CMO shook his head realizing the sparkling had questioned him.

"What is it, Bumblebee?"

"Can see Opt? Can see Hide?" Bee's optics glittered with hope as he smiled up at the large mech offering up the tool he'd been playing with as some sort of bribe.

Ratchet chuckled. "I don't see why not."

"Yay!" Bee cheered his bright little spark warming the whole room. Ratchet had grown use to the little sparklings abilities, but they still amazing him. Walking to the sliding doors Ratchet pushed in a code opening them with a hiss just in time to see Ironhide slug Hound in the head. Hard.

"None of this would have even happened if you hadn't lost him in the first place!" Ironhide snarled.

Jazz threw his hands up in the air practically fuming from where he was pacing behind the massive weapons specialist. "How do you lose a sparkling that can hardly walk!?"

Hound picked his green frame up off the floor with the help of his older brother's extended hand before he bowed his head in shame. "I really am sorry." He whispered. "One klick he was there and the next he was gone."

"We really were watching him." Trailbreaker bowed his own head behind his brother. "But it really was like he just vanished."

"He crawls!" Ironhide fumed pacing around the hall his cannons whirling with anger. "How can he _crawl_ away from you that fast?"

"You're the one that watches him the most you answer that!" Hound snapped only to get slugged to the floor again.

"Alright enough of that!" Prowl jumped forward placing himself between Hide and the caretakers that had let the sparkling vanish. "He's fine. Right Ratchet?"

Prowl had seen the medic open the doors even if no one else noticed. He cast a quick glance around Ratchet's thick yellow and red frame to see Bumblebee grinning on a berth behind him twirling a wrench. Relived, Prowl knew that for a moment at least the inner fighting would stop. However, if Ratchet had kept that door shut much longer Prowl was sure Ironhide would have blasted something, and Red Alert really didn't need any other bots needing to be fixed up at the moment. The other medic had to take up the slack when Ratchet's whole focus went onto the sparkling, and there were enough battered frames in the other medical bay across the ship that needed patching. Hound's didn't need to be added to them. Even if the quiet mech had lost the sparkling. A fact that Prowl still didn't really understand.

Bumblebee was a sparkling after all. How did he sneak away? The notion wasn't logical.

"He will be fine." Ratchet nodded. "But Hound won't be if you don't stop denting mechs, Ironhide."

"Get out of my way!" The massive black mech shoved past Ratchet hurrying into the med bay and the berth that his little charge sat on giggling and reaching out for him. Ironhide scooped him up, snuggling the tiny form close to his spark as he stared down at those bright baby blue optics that glittered up at him like he was the whole universe wrapped up in a mech. Ironhide could do nothing other than smile down at him in return as the anger that had his cannons pulsing slowly slipped away into relief. He'd already lost one sparkling, and he would _die_ before he lost this one.

He'd vowed that the klick he laid optics on him.

Now all he could do was soak in those magnificent blue optics and that happy, warm, glow that reached back at his spark. That is until suddenly the optics narrowed and Bumblebee curled up a tiny fist slamming it with a thump into Ironhide's thick, battled scarred, chest with a tiny clink. He hardly even felt the thud, had he not been watching Bee he probably wouldn't have even known what happened, but he had been watching and the sight threw him for a loop. Shocked he blinked in surprise at the violent act until Bee wiggled a short finger up at him accusingly.

"Promised!" Bee let out an annoyed click.

Ironhide visible deflated at the anger glittering in his sparkling's optics. "I know, Bee."

"Not back!" Bumblebee turned away crossing his short arms over his tiny chest. "Hide lie!"

Ironhide's spark ached at the words.

"Bumblebee," Optimus walked forward quickly from the gathering crowd outside the door. Reaching Ironhide's side he knew just how worried his friend had been the last few breems. The leader could still feel the panic that had assaulted his best friend's spark when Jazz's comm cut off. He could still see the terror that had taken over Ironhide at the notion of losing the sparkling.

Optimus never would have forgiven himself if something had happened to Bumblebee, for more reasons than he could sit down and count, but most of all because of two. One, he felt as close to and as responsible for the little one as Ironhide did, and two because he agreed to let Ironhide get attached.

He could have easily just let the sparkling be Jazz's charge, or Ratchet's, even Prowl's or Magnus's.

But he hadn't.

He knew how much Ironhide could do for the sparkling and vice versa.

He had wanted it to be Ironhide.

He wanted his old friend back. It had been selfish of him, but he had done it all the same. He knew the risk or letting the mech care for another that could so easily be taken from him. Just like before. Yet he did it anyway.

"He didn't lie, Bumblebee." Optimus scolded as he gazed down at Bumblebee who pouted in Hide's hand. "And it's cruel to say such things."

Bumblebee turned a pout to the massive mech who's spark opened up to him so much and allowed Bee to feel just as safe and protected as Ironhide did. Only this time he wasn't satisfied with the safety he could be welcomed into. He was very, _very_, put out with his family.

"Opt lie too." He pointed up into Optimus's kind eyes that went wide with shock.

_Huh? _The commander blinked.

"Now that is priceless." Sunstreaker, who had been leaning in the hallway watching everything go down faking that he wasn't absolutely terrified about the welfare of Bumblebee—well to everyone but his brother who could feel it drowning him—pushed himself to his feet and strolled into the bay ignoring the glare Ratchet shot him. "Optimus Prime. Shocked. This little mech really can do anything can't he?"

"He truly is something else." Sideswipe joined his twin, casting Wrench a playful smile.

"Sunny!" Bumblebee threw open his arms wiggling them so the warrior would pick him up.

Now it was Sunstreaker's turn to be shocked into silence. The sparkling wanted him?

Why?

Half the time he figured he scared the Half Pint.

Sides, sure, he understood why Bee liked his brother so much, but Sun was violent, egotistical, loud, annoying, and not really all that much of a team player. He liked sparkling sitting Bee—though he'd die before he let anyone other than his brother know it—but the Half Pint always stuck closer to Sides. Or maybe that was just because Sides was the one that would hold him in public.

It kind of confused the weathered warrior as to why Bumblebee wanted him at the moment, and then that terrified little face he'd seen clutched in that pit slaggin' Decepticon's hand flashed across his processor. Quickly shaking the thought away his spark shuttered at the lingering memory long enough that Sides picked up on it. His brother cast him a knowing glance that the twins were pretty cretin their commander, CMO, and weapons specialist caught before Sides snatched up the giggling sparkling and plopped down on the breath ignoring the glare Ironhide gave him.

"What?" Sides defended. "Obviously he's mad at you."

"Sideswipe," Ratchet warned as he carefully bounced Bee before him earning giggle after giggle. "If you reopen those patches I will dismantle you myself."

"I'm not gonna hurt him." Sides rolled his optics. "Am I, Half Pint?"

Bee just kept laughing.

"See he's fine."

"Fine as a post sparkling-napped sparkling could be I suppose." Sunstreaker snorted.

"Not helping." Sides raised an optic ridge.

"Who said _I_ needed to help?"

"Common sense, duh."

"Since when do either of us have that?"

"He makes a valid point." Ratchet put in.

Both twins turned to glare at him.

"You said it hothead, not me."

"Sides?" The red twin's attention returned to the sparkling that wiggled in his hands.

"What's up, Half Pint?" He questioned.

"Bad bot gone?"

Sideswipe tensed for just a moment before he nodded slowly. "Yeah Bee they're gone. Nobody's gonna hurt you now. You shouldn't have been hurt in the first place, but if you hadn't wondered off it wouldn't have happened."

"Which brings about the raining question of the orn," Optimus crossed his arms over his chest as he stared down at Bumblebee with stern optics making Bee lower his. "Why did you sneak away from Hound and Trailbreaker?"

"How!" Hound snapped from the door. "_How_ did you sneak away from Hound and Trailbreaker!?"

"Yes," Optimus nodded trying to not let the pitiful little way the sparkling wouldn't look at him get to his spark. He had to be firm now. This was not the time to coddle. They had all come very close to losing Bumblebee, and Optimus couldn't let that happen again. "That too."

Bumblebee shrugged slightly as he climbed over Sides arms until he was reaching for Ironhide again. He had moved past his earlier unhappiness and now he wanted his guardian again. He was tired and he didn't want to be questioned about sneaking off. He knew he shouldn't have done it, but that would only make his caretakers angrier with him if he told them that. So he opted for silence while he reached for Hide.

Quickly Ironhide plucked his charge away from the slightly more disastrous of the twins, cradling him up against his chest as the little one yawned. Bright baby blue optics growing heavier by the klick stared around the room until every mech around him sighed in turn.

"He's tired, Optimus." Ratchet relented. "He's had quite the orn."

"Perhaps the lecture can wait until tomorrow." The leader nodded. "No since keeping him up. He's safe now that's all that matters."

"I'd still like to know how he snuck off." Hound huffed.

"Tomorrow, little brother." Trailbreaker chuckled, pulling his last family member from the med bay and back toward the mess hall followed by Sideswipe and Sunstreaker who gave the mechs around the room a brief nod as they vanished.

The four mechs left in the med bay were the very four that had brought the tiny, yawning, sparkling to the ship in the first place.

Ironhide stood watching his new charge curl up against his chest with another yawn before his optics closed. Had he know not that long ago that by now his life was going to revolve around the tiny yellow form he knew he would have thought himself glitchy. Glitchy to get in this deep once again. Glitchy to let that walled off part of his spark open up again. Glitchy to think that he and his closest friends could keep such a helpless life online in the middle of all this. He'd done it though, and he knew that he was never going to regret any of it.

Bumblebee owned his spark now.

He had been gifted with a second chance at having a sparkling. This time he was going to make sure he made it count. He was going to make sure this one lived to be all he was meant to be.

Optimus stood beside his friend watching with wonder as Bumblebee fell into recharge safe in Ironhide's arms. How they'd managed to do it the Autobot leader still wasn't sure. Somehow they had gotten him back. Though he knew their troubles had only just begun. The chances that Megatron wouldn't learn about their little sparkling were slim to none, and when the fact did come to light Optimus knew that his older brother would hunt Bumblebee down. Simply because he would have gathered that the little one was tied to Optimus somehow.

The commander wasn't going to let that happen though. He had sworn he would protect Bumblebee, and he would. He was going to make sure this innocent had every chance in the universe to become all he wanted to be. Optimus knew that a sparkling raised in the middle of a war would have no other choice than to eventually become a part of it, and he hated the fact with every part in his spark, but he knew that it was a fact nonetheless. It was a fact that saddened the commander, but a fact he had to acknowledge.

Reaching forward Optimus ran a careful finger over the sleeping head of the little sparkling before he whispered quietly.

"No matter what happens from here on out you're right where you belong, Bumblebee." He promised. "You're one of us now."

* * *

In the gathering shadows of the night a pair of glittering red optics along with an ice like pair of blue watched the darkening battleship _Artemis 1_ as the mechs aboard steadily fell into recharge. The pair watched silently from the misty night well aware of what bots stood guard and which broke apart from the med bay. One, the massive weapons specialist who was entrusted with the object of their interest, walked with his close friend and commander until they reached his chambers and the warrior mech left his leader to put the sparkling into recharge. Between the two of them they could sense the hulking mech lay upon his own berth cradling the slumbering youth to his strong chest.

The blue eyed mech grinned at the loyalty and love he could sense pulsing from the mech. Then he turned his focus to the commander who made his way to his own quarters. The great Optimus Prime. The watcher could only chuckle lightly at the turn of events.

"You find this funny?" The harsher of the two watchers turned his red optics to his companion. "Because I see nothing humorous."

"I was right." The other said.

"Ha," He was answered with a snort. "That little runt is not what we need!"

"But he is."

"You've finally gone glitchy."

"No I haven't."

"We've been searching the universe for more than a billion vorns, brother." The other replied. "All the time looking for _his _replacement. I refuse to believe that that tiny _runt _is who we've been searching for."

"Then why did you save him?"

The other let out a low growl before crossing his strong silver arms over his broad chest tapping a long claw like finger against his armor. "We would have never known if that half wit took him to that poor excuse of a tyrant."

A chuckle broke through the dark air as the shorter of the two lay his massive black head down on his long strong front legs he crossed before his canine like form. His muzzle rested on his wickedly clawed paw like feet as he watched the ship bellow him. His long spiked tail, that was almost as long as the rest of his massive frame, flicked back and forth in amusement.

"I'm still not convinced." His brother continued tapping a clawed finger. "That thing will never _ever _be any use to us."

"He is young." With a flick of a tail he smiled at the feeling of the little spark down there shining brightly. For him that brilliant spark was proof enough. He didn't need any more convincing. Though he knew his harsher brother would need a bit more. "He needs time."

"He will never amount to anything."

"I disagree."

"You saw him!" Red optics narrowed in anger. "That is _not_ Shootingstar! That little runt will never be what we need!"

"He doesn't have to _be_ Shootingstar!" Blue optics sparkled with their own anger as he turned to glare up at the other. "Shootingstar is dead, and whose fault is that?"

The other turned away charging his rocket boosters before he growled in anger and pain over his shoulder. "That was a very, _very_, long time ago."

And with that he shoot up into the sky disappearing without a trace.

The remaining watcher didn't even bother to see which way his brother went. He'd made his point, and it was done with. As far as he was concerned the sparkling didn't need to be the one they had needed before. His brother was right. That had been a very long time ago. This one, this magnificent little sparkling, was a million times more than anything he could have hoped for. That brilliant spark could be nothing else than what he knew it was.

After all he'd spent the last billon vorns searching for him. He kind of figured he would know the one he needed when he found it. True, the tiny sparkling was not what he had hoped for, but he knew that one orn that sparkling would have a power that would revile the very ones that searched for him.

He wondered if Prime had guessed what the tiny creature was yet. Had he figured out who the sparkling belong too, _truly_ belonged too. Had he guessed the greatness that awaited such a powerful spark?

He doubted it.

The orn would come though, and it wouldn't be much longer until it did. The sparkling needed to do just a bit more growing. Then the universe would see if the more optimistic of the watchers was right. They would all see if that spark was bound to them the way he thought it was. Until than he and his brother would have to hang back and watch. They would only intervene when necessary, like they had done earlier when Prime was foolish enough to let the sparkling get taken.

Until the orn came that the theory could be tested and eventfully the threads of fate reviled they would all simply have to make sure the sparkling survived.

Pushing himself to his wide powerful paws he cast a knowing ice blue gaze down over where the sparkling slumbered in peace.

"Rest well, Tiny One. Grow a little more. Learn a little more. I will come for you soon. _We_ will come for you soon. For you are one of us, Tiny One, even if you do not yet know it."

Turning into the darkening night, he racing back into the shadows to watch until the orn that he would be needed.

* * *

**Well, well, well would you look at that. Some ending, huh? **

**I'm just down right cruel aren't I?**

**You have no idea how much fun that was to write. I love those two! And I love more that no body has any idea who they are! Hee-hee Can't wait to see what you guys have to say about my dear "watchers" as they will have to be known by for a little while. Guess away if you want, I'd love to see what you come up with. **

**Anyway . . . its done!**

_**Right Where You Belong **_**has come to its glorious and mysterious end, setting the stage for all that is to come! And yes there is a sequel, and a whole lot more story after that once I get that far. The sequel, _Secret of the_ Stars, is kinda sorta half way done . . . maybe . . . I think. Depends on how many more plot twist smack me before I get to the freaking middle! Though it is amazing! At least I think so.**

**Onto other matters.**

**Thank you for all the Reviews! **

**I love them all! You guys are awesome! You keep me going!**

**So once again I ask, what did you think? **

**A little more back story is exposed here if you guys caught it. I'm sure you did. **

**And have I mentioned lately that I love the Twins? They are amazing! And so much fun to play with. They just seemed the perfect answer to defuse a pouting sparkling. I think they did a good job of getting glared at if nothing else. **

**I hope you all have enjoyed the beginning of Bumblebee's tale and I hope you stick around to find out where his crazy destiny, and my messed up head, take him. I'm pretty sure I'm going to put the first chapter of _Secret of the Stars _up later today just to thank all you wonderful readers. And because I love it and all of you. That being said, because I love you all so much and I am honored that you have decided to spare a few moments of your lives to follow my crazy tale I would like to offer you something in return. **

***Spoiler Alert***

**Anybody who loves the Twins. You're gonna wanna stick around for _Secret of the Stars_. **

**Hint. Hint. **

**Wow this was long. Anybody that read it all, thank you. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go edit the first chapter of the sequel.**

**Please Read and Review!**

**Chat with ya later**

**-Jay **


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